


Heart's Content

by BGD26



Category: Rookie Blue
Genre: F/F, Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-16 03:31:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2254233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BGD26/pseuds/BGD26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A different look at how Officer Gail Peck and Dr. Holly Stewart might have met. Recently single, riding a vintage motorcycle, sporting a new short hair cut, same prickly exterior Gail's world is turned upside down when Holly comes crashing in causing her to question everything! I own nothing but the mistakes. Comments welcome, and very much appreciated!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Gail Peck grabbed the well-worn black leather jacket off the hook hanging in her locker before sitting down to lace up her tattered motorcycle boots thankful her overnight shift was finished and she could finally get some rest before her one day off this week. She had volunteered for overtime the past two weeks and it was finally catching up with her as she looked herself over in the mirror. Short messy cropped blonde hair staring back at her with attitude, pleading to maybe have a brush run through it once in a while. Still she knew she looked good, she was feeling a bit better each day since her breakup with Nick a few months ago and she decided her new found freedom looked pretty damn good on her.

Just outside downtown Toronto the twisted guard rail on the highway and broken glass on the cement was the last thing Dr. Holly Stewart thought she would be seeing this morning as the struggle to pull herself together and away from the deployed air bag had become a challenge at that particular moment. Her left leg was unable to break free from the impact and when she attempted to move it is when she felt the searing pain shoot up her left side. The woman was trying desperately to stop the panicked thoughts surfacing in her head that today probably could not get any worse. It was now a guarantee that she would indeed be late for her first day, starting a new position with the forensics division in Toronto. "Fanfuckingtastic" she muttered to herself and she heard the thunderous roar of an engine pulling up beside her. All she could really make out were long legs in faded tight jeans, swinging themselves off the black onyx vintage Indian motorcycle. When the helmet came off she saw what could only be described as one of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen walking toward her.

Pulling off her gloves the woman asks, "Hey, you okay?"

"I have been better, thank you so much for stopping I think my leg or foot is stuck; I can't really tell what is going on."

"What is your name?"

"Holly."

"Okay Holly, I am going to call this in and check on the other car that is just up in front of you. Listen I will be right back I promise, you're going to be okay, I am a cop."

Slinging a grin in the blonde's direction, "Do you have a name or should I just call you cop?"

Yelling back in her direction, "It's Gail, and don't try to move!"

Gail calls in for medic and police assistance on her cell, she walks over to the other car to find a hefty middle aged, balding man slumped over in the driver's seat, Gail feels for a pulse which she easily finds as the pungent stench of alcohol almost knocks her over. "Alright buddy wake up", as Gail gently shakes his shoulder. The disheveled man opens his eyes, struggling to focus as he looks Gail over, "please, please tell me we slept together." Opening the car door to check his injuries, "You'd have a better chance of miraculously re-growing the missing hair on your head than you ever will of bedding me, mister. So how much have you had to drink this morning?" Panic appears on the man's face as he attempts to stand from the car, "I have not been drinking!" about to lose his balance Gail quickly grabs the man keeping him on his feet. "Okay, okay, let's just calm down and wait for the ambulance so we know you're not hurt." Struggling to get free, he slams Gail up against the car, "SON OF A… Now, I am done playing games you jackass! Gail attempts to flip him around in order to pin him against the car but before she can execute the move he takes a wild punch making contact just below her right eye with his closed fist. At this point the brunette pokes her head out the window of the other car that has been shattered with the force of the impact, "Hey, is everything okay over there?" Finally Gail is able to wrestle the guy to the ground straddling him as she yells behind her, "Yep, fine, nothing to worry about, just administering a field sobriety test over here. You better not be trying to move!" As Gail finds the sweet spot on the man's lower back applying pressure with her knees a squad car pulls up with Nick and Andy inside.

"About time you guys decided to show up."

Nick flies around the side of the squad car with his cuffs already out, "Jesus, what happened to your face!" shooting him a look, "You are still such a sweet talker, Nicholas." Touching her palm to her eye that is already throbbing like mad, "Mr. Combover here took a shot at me while I was trying to make sure he was not hurt. He seems fine other than being sloppy drunk, hey what's the ETA on that ambulance the woman in the other car is hurt."

"They are about 5 minutes behind us, Gail." as Andy searches for a breathalyzer kit in the trunk of the squad car.

Gail appears at the window of Holly's car, "How are you doing?"

"Oh my god, what happened to your face, I think you have an orbital rim fracture!" blurts the brunette.

"I have a whatty, who?"

Smiling Holly decides to rephrase the answer, "I think you might have fractured your eye socket. Did that guy hit you?"

"A very cheap shot, but yes he hit me."

"I am really sorry. You stopped to help and look what it got you."

"It's nothing. Really. I get hit all the time. I mean it comes with the nature of the job sometimes. Ambulance is on the way but I want to see if we can't get your leg free without causing any further injury." Gail looks at the woman, and finds she is having a hard time concentrating on what she is doing. "Holly, right?" the woman smiles back and confirms the information, "Yes, it's Holly."

Gail turns and yells for Andy, "Hey McNally bring the crow bar from your car and let's see if we can't get Holly free from this mess."

Andy appears and they work together to shift the pinched metal, finally able to get the passenger side car door open and pry the wreckage away from the brake pedal area, which allows Holly to free her foot.

Andy wipes her brow, "I smell gasoline, Gail, we should get her out of here, like now."

"All right let's bust you out of here." As Gail leans in she reaches around Holly's waist from behind as the other woman turns her head they are now face to face, lips inches apart. Holly feels her heart pound as she awkwardly blurts out. "Hi." Gail can't help but laugh at her, "Hi. We actually have already met, I am saving your life and took a hit to my optical lobe for you." their eyes meet, "Your orbital rim." comes the correction.

Gail licks her lips, "Whatever."

With Andy's help they are able to slide Holly out and gently place her on the ground away from the immediate area of the car. The ambulance pulls up and before there is a chance to say anything more Gail is pulled away to answer questions about the incident, and the EMT's swarm Holly to asses her injuries.

The beer was ice cold and the tequila burning heat running down her throat as Gail sat on her favorite bar stool at the Penny. Sporting her shiner of an eye and contemplating why she could not get the woman from earlier out of her head. Gail Peck was not easily shaken, not one to be smitten and certainly not by a woman. She tossed back the rest of her tequila, sucked hard on the wedge of lime between her teeth and raised her glass, a green flag for the bartender to pour another. She certainly deserved another after the day she had.

Nick plops himself down on the stool next to Gail, "Hey, face any better?"

"I could ask you the same thing." taking a slow swig from her beer looking Nick over with just a tinge of anger on her face, "Nope it's not any better, same old ugly mug Collins."

"Yeah, well you are lucky it was not worse. That guy actually has a record a mile long and we found a loaded gun in the car after you left. He had an active warrant when we ran his name."

"Not surprising because he was a complete fucknut from the start, and he could have killed that woman he plowed into. Hey, did you hear if she is doing okay?"

Placing a coaster under his newly delivered beer, "Andy called to check in on her a little while ago, other than some stitches to close the leg wound she ended up being fine."

"Hmmpf. Well that is good. I am glad she is alright." With the slightest of smiles appearing on the blondes face as she thinks about Holly's crocked smile at the scene.

Nick sits up and turns to Gail, "Wait! What does that mean? What is up with you and that woman today? You almost never ask about how people are after the fact."

"Shut up, Nick. I am just being nice. Contrary to popular belief I am a nice person you know. I just have a special, snarky, condescending charm about me sometimes."

Nick stops himself from spraying his beer all over the counter with laughter, "Sometimes?"

"Nice, Nick. I am going home. It's been a long day and I was supposed to already be home and in bed asleep hours ago."

"Hey, seriously be safe going home and ice that eye it looks awful."

"It's an orbital rim for your information." As she slides off the bar stool and throws cash down to cover her tab.

Nick is totally confused, "It's a What?"

Gail does not bother to explain slipping into her jacket and grabbing her motorcycle helmet on her way out of the Penny.

Oliver Shaw was by far Gail's favorite officer to be paired up with; she loved his humor, his taste in lunch spots and probably most of all that he never seemed to judge her. Gail knew today would be a good day, when morning parade finished and she saw her name scribbled next to Oliver's on the assignment board. After stopping for coffee heading down Dundas the call came in for assistance to secure with a murder scene that was just a few blocks from their current location.

"1519 responding" Gail radios as she flips on the cruisers lights.

The scene was organized chaos with officers securing the area and the forensics team already collecting evidence. Traci Nash checked in with Gail and Oliver on her way to check on the status of transporting the deceased boy to the morgue.

"Suspected gang related gunshot would. Kid was only 17 years old. We are waiting on the forensic pathologist to arrive; apparently she is new to the city and got turned around on her way here."

"You would think maybe GPS would be a good idea, doubt she will last long." Gail mutters.

Nash is on the move, "Well looks like she found her way here somehow."

Gail looks up to see the familiar face of the woman from the car wreck earlier in the week. Gail watches her move effortlessly through the crowd as she ducks under the police tape. She is confident and begins to work diligently as soon as she finds the body, giving directions and asking questions. Her hair is pulled back away from her face, revealing flawless olive skin and dark chocolate drop eyes which are as stunning as Gail remembers. This version of Holly is very different than the fragile, shaken woman Gail had stumbled upon along the side of the highway.

"PECK!"

Gail is jolted from her dream like trans.

"What?" She spit out.

"You dropped your coffee and it splattered all over me! What is wrong with you?"

Peering down at the mess on the ground, "Oh God, sorry Oliver! I don't know what happened; I guess I forgot."

"You forgot you were holding your coffee? Are you sure you didn't get clobbered in the head and not the eye?"

"Funny. Listen I am really sorry. I will buy you a drink at the Penny."

"You will buy me three drinks at the Penny and you will pick up my dry cleaning."

"Fine, can we just check in and see what they need us to do?"

"Go check in with Nash, I need to touch base with Sam about the undercover op he is setting up for the weekend."

Gail walks over to Traci, who is busy with some witnesses, scribbling away notes on small black leather bound pad.

"Hey it's you!" Gail hears from behind her. "I didn't expect to see you here, small world!"

Turning as she comes face to face with Holly, a simple "Hi." is all the cop can manage.

Holly steps forward reaching up to gently cup Gail's cheek in her warm hand tilting her chin just a bit to get a better look, "Your eye looks better, most of the bruising is gone, how does it feel?"

Gail can hardly speak, looking in Holly's eyes, lost in her silly grin that in some strange way makes Gail feel like she has known Holly for a lifetime or more. Her inner voice comes to the rescue, "Pull it together, Peck!"

Gail takes a small staggering step backward, "It feels much better, thanks. Hey, how about your leg?"

Glancing slightly downward, "All patched up with a few stitches, other than eggplant looking bruises I am good as new."

"Good, I am glad. That was a crazy situation."

"Listen, Gail. I really can't thank you enough for stopping and helping me through that whole ordeal. I would very much like to take you to dinner and say thanks. I am new to the city just started in forensics and I don't know too many people here in town."

Gail stares at the woman while an internal free for all begins whirling in her head. Is she asking you out? No, she just wants to meet new people. She has no idea that you actually don't even LIKE people, so you should just say no. But you do kind of like her so maybe you should say yes, it won't kill you. WAIT! Who am I? Finally Gail breathes out "Uh, okay. Yeah, sure."

"Great how about dinner tomorrow night? Say 8:00pm?

"Sure, 8:00pm is good." The cop agrees. "Should I meet you someplace?"

"My car is still in the shop, would you mind picking me up? I can give you my address, it's not too far from the station."

Eyebrows raised, "I drive a motorcycle, you know this right?"

And with that, Holly shoots her an unmistakable look of intrigue, "Oh, I do." Looking Gail over, eyes finally landing upon the name stitched on her uniform. "I have never been on a motorcycle Officer Peck, it will be… fun."

Gail swallows hard feeling her jaw tighten at the sound of Holly's words.

Holly jots down her address on a piece of paper from her notepad and shoves it toward Gail.

"Okay, I gotta get back to my dead body." I will see you tomorrow Gail.

"Yeah, me too." Gail blurts out casually before realizing what she has said, "I mean back to work, not dead bodies though, back on patrol, to catching bad guys and all that stuff."

Holly is laughing as she walks away, "Have a good day, Gail."

Gail turns to see Oliver who has clearly been watching the last bit of their conversation play out.

"Not ONE word Oliver, I mean it." as Gail retreats toward their squad car.

Following behind her, "I didn't say a thing, darlin, not a thing."

Thoughts? Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Gail stood at the bathroom sink thinking of very little except her dinner invitation from Holly which would be happening in less than 14 hours. She was nervous but currently felt safe behind the four walls of mind clearing steam that floated all around her but even more than being nervous; she had admitted to herself she was curious. It was a start; perhaps for Gail Peck it could even be considered a small step. She picked out her favorite pair of jeans the ones that clung to her in all the right spots, perfectly broken in but not ratty or too worn, a soft white v-nick t shirt to wear under a tighter fitting black sweater, and her deep crimson red killer boots.

The day was flying by without incident, a couple of routine calls, noise complaints and an elderly couple who could not find their beloved cat. The cat named Manitoba had climbed up a tree in the back yard and didn't look like it had any idea how to get down. Dov managed to shimmy up the tree and coax the cat down with some tuna. Gail hated trees, avoiding them at all costs unless there happened to be a hammock attached, with ice cold adult beverages involved preferably on an island away from people.

Stopping for lunch at a little place on Jarvis street, Gail was in the middle of contemplating between chicken salad or a turkey club with extra bacon when Dov, jabbed her in the ribs.

"Ouch, what the hell Epstein!"

"Behind us, I think we might have a situation."

Gail drops her focus from lunch and listens to the man behind them begin to berate the woman he is with, "Well we would have some fucking money if you didn't buy those brats everything they wanted."

"They needed new shoes for school and a few supplies. They are both wearing the same clothes from last year." Forcefully twisting the woman's arm behind her back he informs her, "When I want your opinion I will give it to you."

That was all it took, Gail and Dov stepped backward turning to address the man, "Is there a problem here?" Dov asks the man who is probably a good five inches taller than him.

"I am sorry, was I even talking to you?"

"Okay, so this is how you want to play it?" Gail interjects.

"Because we can take your name, run your info through our system and see if you are a squeaky clean wheel and let you go, or we could find out just maaaybe your wheel is not so squeaky clean. Which is it going to be Bully Bob?"

Not backing down from Gail's threat, "OffiSIR, you go right ahead and do what you want, but I am not breaking any laws by having a discussion with my old lady."

"Fine. Can I see your ID please?" Gail glared at the man punching each and every word with just a smidge of disdain.

"Oh no, I accidentally left it at home offiSIRRR." Dragging out the last syllables for good measure.

Gail reached her tipping point, "Hands behind your back buddy." gathering both of his arms behind the man, out of nowhere he takes one giant forceful step backward head-butting Gail with such force it knocks her down. The man bolts out the door, promptly tripping over his own two feet as he skids out onto the sidewalk. Dov quickly subdues the man and manages to get him cuffed before reaching for his radio.

"1527 requesting backup at 2376 Jarvis for transport", looking back inside at the blood pouring from Gail's mouth, "and can you send a medic as well to this location."

Gail tastes the metallic salty combination in her mouth and she wants to cry, not because it hurts, which it certainly fucking does, but because she has dinner plans tonight with Holly, what is she going to think? Maybe she should cancel. She lets that thought simmer for a moment only to find herself a bit shocked when it makes her a little sad to think of not seeing the brunette tonight. Wiping the blood on her sleeve, she gets on her feet and makes her way outside.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I am fine."

"Well you don't look fine; the medics should be here in a second, just let them look at it Gail."

Looking at Dov with her puffy lip she gives in, "I will let them look at it, are you happy?"

"You have no idea."

Gail actually is happy when she is told by the EMT's no stitches just a butterfly closure and ice. Back in the cruiser examining herself in the mirror above the visor Gail decides you could hardly notice it …much. Maybe Holly won't look at her face. WHAT IS SHE SAYING! Where else would she want her to look? Oh god, never mind!

"Are you okay, I feel like your anxious or giddy or I don't know, just not acting like yourself, which is kind of terrifying?"

"Well, maybe I am happy Dov, did you ever think that might be it?"

"No."

"You're an ass."

"C'mon Gail! You just got your lip ripped open and your eye is still a bit of a mess so forgive me if I am leery of this new found happiness you are claiming at this particular moment."

"Forget it, let's just get back to the station and get this paper work done, so I can get off shift on time. I have to be out of the station by 7:15pm and not a minute later."

"Why? Got a date?"

"Nooooo! I don't have a date, who would I have a date with? I am meeting a friend."

"You don't have friends, Gail. You have me, Chris, Traci and Andy. Well not really Andy but you have me, Chris, and Traci. We are all going to the Penny tonight. What gives?"

"You don't know the person, and stop being so damn nosey. Drive Dov!"

"Fine, but you better do magic with your make up, that lip it looks awful."

"No one likes you, Epstein."

"You love me, Gail and you know it. They don't call us Peckstein for nothing."

"Oh my god Dov, please stop any future words from coming out of your mouth!"

Back at the station with the day's paperwork done and filed Gail has time for a leisurely extra hot shower. She lets the water wash over her sore muscles, she should be exhausted but feels oddly excited at the idea of meeting Holly for dinner. What scares her is that meeting her for dinner does not excite her quite as much as the thought of having her on the back of the bike. She questions if she might have been better served by taking a cold shower. None of this makes sense right now, but as she puts the final touches of makeup on her lip, she looks at herself in the mirror and finally proclaims out loud, "Who cares if she is a girl?"

"Care if who is a girl?" asks Chloe as she dances into the room, "Hey are you going to the Penny tonight, cause we are all going and I heard what happened today from Dov, Let me see your lip, does it hurt? Did you have to get stitches? Ugh, stitches in the lip totally suck!" Gail throws her stuff into the open locker, grabs her jacket and slams it shut. "Do you ever come up for air, Chloe? You're like one of those sperm whales that does not require a breath for like 90 minutes at a time, it's pretty remarkable Price even for you." Maybe for the first time since arriving at 15, Chloe has nothing to say, she just watches dumbfounded as Gail breezes out of the locker room.

Holly Stewart is not sure if inviting Gail to dinner so soon was the best move or not. Perhaps her "What have you got to lose?" mentality could have waited a week or so until she found her footing a bit around the workplace. Gail was stunningly beautiful and even though Holly did not know for a fact if Gail was gay or not, she felt the tremendous spark and the undeniable rush between them when the cop pulled her out of the wreckage, not to mention the adorable way Gail stumbled and fumbled over her words at the crime scene. She liked the fact that behind her irreverent disposition, the woman she experienced at the accident was unbelievably kind and sweet. The question now was what the hell do I wear for a ride on the back of a motorcycle? Holly had been thoughtful about her options finally deciding on a pair of her favorite jeans which were button fly Levi's with a black fitted shirt over a pretty form fitting indigo tank top, her favorite leather jacket and perfectly broken in cowboy boots. Grabbing her Ray Ban aviator sunglasses just because it seemed like the thing to do being on a motorcycle and all. Hair pulled back away from her face, she also made sure to wear contacts so she didn't have to fuss with glasses. Admitting to herself that she normally did not put this much effort into what she would wear for a date, or a non- date…or whatever this was… there was certainly a lot of effort going on in her world for tonight's outing.

She heard the rumble approaching her place and peaked out the window as Gail rolled up her drive way. She had to admit the motorcycle thing was very sexy, Gail was very sexy; she went downstairs opening the front door just in time to see Gail bounding up the steps with her very state of the art, fancy motorcycle helmet still placed on her head.

"Hey there, you found it okay?"

Gail flipped up the face shield to reveal her radiant sky blue eyes.

"Yep, very good directions! You ready?"

Pointing with her thumb behind her, "Um, did you want to come in for a minute, I just have to grab my bag and jacket."

"Oh sure." Following her into the house, Holly asks how the cop's day went.

"It was great, and you?"

Holly turns to see the blonde has not removed her bulky accessory ,"Gail, are you going to take your helmet off, I kinda feel like I am talking to Darth Vader here." Flashing her a quick grin, because she thinks Gail incredibly cute in this moment.

"Yeah about that, I don't want you to think I am not a good cop. Or that I am not good with my hands, Oh god what am I saying, I mean not able to defend myself, because I am and well it is crazy this happened right after the eye thing but I kinda …." Gail feels like Chloe Price has entered her body and she can't stop talking so finally she just resorts to reaching up and pulling off her helmet revealing the bruised and cut lip... "did this today."

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine. Remember at the accident when I said this happened all the time? Sheepishly grinning up at Holly, "Well apparently that was not just some line to make you feel better."

"Do you still feel like going out, or would you rather order something in?"

Fiddling with the strap on her helmet, "I would really like to still go out if you're not embarrassed to be seen with me like this."

"Are you kidding me? Never! Let's get out of here."

Outside Gail hands Holly her helmet, which she slips on letting Gail adjusts the straps for her until the fit is snug and perfect.

Walking over to the motorcycle, "I am going to hop on and then you can just slide in behind me okay?"

"Got it." Holly feels her cheeks begin to flush simply watching Gail in her perfectly tight jeans fling her perfect leg over the bike to straddle the seat. She swallows hard, thinking here goes nothing. She follows Gail's lead and slips in right behind her on the bike. Okay well that's incredibly hot and we have not even started the engine. Holly reminds herself to stay focused!

Gail turns around looking at Holly, "Remember to hold on tight, and I am not kidding!" Holly can tell she is smiling even though she can only see her liquid blue dancing eyes through the small visible space of her helmet, and it takes her breath away. "Don't worry you're going be lucky if you can breathe at all."

Gail stops just as she is about to start the engine, "Hey where are we going anyway?" Holly leans in closer, Gail's breath hitches, "The Rectory Café, on Toronto Island."

Gail simply shakes her head in affirmation, flips down her face mask as the vibrations of the motorcycle come alive. Holly is not quite sure how she is supposed to endure all the stimulation that is currently coursing through her body. She slips her hands around Gail's waist pulling herself up tight against the cops back, so close she can feel the pounding of hearts, so loud and strong she is not sure whose is whose. Holly clasps her hands tightly together confident this just might be ride of her life.

Gail feels like she is on fire, her whole body absorbing the radiant warmth of the woman behind her holding on for dear life. She has no idea what is happening to her, but she knows she is going to let it happen. Gail pulls the bike upright, knocks the kickstand backwards with the rigid heel of her boot and they are off, barely down the driveway when Holly lets out an excited yelp as they blaze down the road.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wait, so you literally waltzed over and plucked the giraffe from right under their noses without anyone from the other paintball team even noticing you?"

Finishing the last swallow of wine in her glass, Gail is shaking her head in agreement, "I know, it's crazy they had no idea and I think it crushed Nick the most because he was like in the military for a zillion years, going on all these special sneaky covert operations. Turns out, not so helpful…."

Holly pours a bit more wine in each of their glasses, and raises hers into a toast. "To the giraffe and the woman who stopped at nothing bringing it back to home base!" Laughing as their glasses clink together.

Peering down at the base of her wine glass Gail plays nervously with the fragile stem still not looking up as she speaks, "Hey in case I forget to tell you, I am having a really good time."

"Gail."

Blue eyes drag a slow line up to meet Holly's, "Yeah?"

"I am really glad, because so am I. Thank you for coming to my rescue the other day, for not making me feel bad when I accidentally tickled you by digging into your sides when I was trying to adjust position in the seat of the motorcycle on our way here tonight, and for just being a lot of fun to hang out with."

Gail is looking at this woman and hearing the words that are coming from her mouth, her incredibly beautiful and oh, so sexy mouth but thinks to herself how can she possibly be talking about me? She doesn't think that anyone has ever in the history of Gail's 28 years said that she was a lot of fun to hang out with. Holly is unbelievably amazing, or she is a serial killer and wanted in 3 countries. Gail is totally hoping it's the amazing thing.

"C'mon, you were great on the bike; most people are fidgeting and don't get the whole balance thing when you come to stop at a light. I think you're a pro, maybe you should consider learning to ride?"

Holly almost chokes at the suggestion, "Oh dear God, who in their right mind would ever attempt to teach me to ride a motorcycle?"

Popping a shrimp in her mouth, "I would."

"You would?"

"Yep." Grabbing a hunk of bread before slathering it with butter the blonde continues. "I think it would be the perfect way to get to know the city, we could maybe do lessons on the weekends…" taking a bite of bread before continuing …" when I don't have shift and you don't have dead bodies to cut up."

Shaking her head, "You're totally serious, aren't you?"

Shooting Holly her killer smart ass smile, "Dead serious. But you're not allowed to cut me up. "

"Speaking of cutting, how is your lip feeling?"

"It's okay; I hope it doesn't gross you out too much."

"Gail, it does not look that bad at all. Plus, it's probably going to leave a scar and those are very sexy."

The bread and the sip of wine the cop just swallowed were equally as shocked when those words came lazily drifting out of Holly's mouth, so shocked they made a split second decision to go down the wrong way.

"Ahemm, argh, awwk, ahem," reaching for her water glass, "went down the wrong pipe, sorry."

Holly is watching the scene unfold before her as she clinches her jaw, thinning her lips in an attempt not to laugh at Gail totally coming unraveled.

Left hand in a fist in front of her mouth clearing her throat one final time, "What were you saying?"

Allowing a small bit of laughter to escape her lips, "I didn't know if you wanted to order dessert?"

"You're kidding right? Here is what you should know about me Holly if nothing else know this, I will always want dessert."

"Dually noted, so I guess asking if you would like to share something is out of the question?

Gently biting down on her bottom lip, thinking for a second as her eyes meet Holly's, "I didn't' say that." smiling.

Seeing her smile and raising her with a quick wink, "What if you pick and we share?"

"Done."

The waitress brings them a plate with a gorgeous slice of Flourless Orange Chocolate Torte, accompanied with dollop of crème fraiche and a few scattered berries nestled in a bit of chocolate ganache drizzled along the plate.

"Mmm, brilliant choice." Holly lets the chocolate concoction slowly melt on her tongue.

"So, when did you decide you wanted to be a forensic pathologist?" Gail asks as while scooping up a bite of the decadent dessert onto her spoon.

"It was kind of a family decision, I mean my parents are both doctors so it was assumed that I would go to medical school and at first I was fine with the idea of being a surgeon like both of my parents, but when I had to pick a specialty I realized I had a passion for the criminal aspect and the puzzle solving involved with forensics. My parents were not pleased, but nothing much pleases them to be honest."

Gail can't believe what she is hearing; holy shit Holly could have been born a Peck! That is exactly how her mom and dad would have reacted in the same situation.

"Did you move her to get away from them?

"No, not exactly, we have a fairly good relationship; with time they accepted the fact that I was not going to be the cutting edge cardio thoracic surgeon of the year they had hoped I would become! To be honest I could not pass up the opportunity when the position in Toronto opened up and I was offered the job, I kind of felt like I hit the lottery. "

Gail did not know where it came from, this bold offering she laid in front of Holly, but it arrived with a warm smile, "I kind of feel that way too."

The blonde watched as Holly's smile was accompanied by blushing cheeks and an overt crocked smile.

They both noticed that they were the last people in the restaurant as the waiter arrived to let them know they would need to finish in order to catch the next Ferry back to Toronto from the Islands.

Holly grabbed the black leather binder the check was tucked into and simply mouthed the words, "Thank you." to Gail as she placed her credit card inside.

Gail smiles and brings her hand up parallel with her nose and makes a semi-circle in the air pulling it downward to her sternum.

Holly tilts her head with a questioning look on her face, "Hun?"

As she scoots out of the booth, "It's 'you're welcome' in ASL. "

"You know sign language?"

"Yep, lots of things you don't know about me Holly." as she struts off to use the washroom, turning back to throw the doctor a bone, "yet…"

The night was a beautifully brilliant dance of stars and shadows along the water as the ferry cut through the fleetly swirls below them. Holly and Gail were standing together along the rail, not minding the whipping wind as it gave them an excuse to huddle a little too close to one another, breathing it all in, figuring it all out, just the two of them. They didn't speak at all, not one word the whole ride back, and Gail has never felt quite that calm or safe with anyone that she can remember. Holly does not remember the exact moment when their hands fell together, who initialed the touch, or who followed along, and nothing could have mattered less in that moment.

"I have something for you." Gail announces as they are gearing up for the bike ride back.

"You do?"

Handing Holly her helmet, "Yep, but it's not with me, are you cool if we go get it?"

Watching Gail intently as she adjusts the straps making sure everything is in place, "I am not going to say no if it means a longer bike ride with you."

Gail lets a slow grin spread across her lips and she zips up her jacket and pulls her helmet down over her head. Holly joins her and she feels that knot in her stomach and intoxicating warmth sprea all around her as Holly's body joins her on the bike. She knows in that moment she is in trouble…so much trouble.

They race the wind through the streets of Toronto, heading east and when they are almost to their destination, just before the Leslie Street spit and Tommy Thompson Park, Gail pulls the bike over and kills the engine, flipping up her face-mask she turns herself around, "Do you trust me Holly?" the reply is immediate, "I do… unless you're going to off me, then cut me up into little pieces and feed me to vicious farm animals, then the answer is NO!" Gail laughs hysterically at the thought, "Close your eyes until I tell you to open them and DO NOT PEEK, I will know if you peek and I will not be happy!" Gail slaps her face-mask down and they are back on the road just a few short blocks until they pull into a dark curvy road and off into a grassy clearing.

"Okay, tell me you have not opened your eyes, Holly." As Gail slings her leg over the motorcycle and flings her helmet off.

"I promise you that I have not opened my eyes, Gail."

"Okay good. I am going to help you get your helmet off", as the blonde gently reaches up to meet Holly's hands they push together freeing Holly from the confines of the helmet.

"Okay, I got you just hold my hand", Holly swings her weight over the bike losing her balance for a moment but she soon feels Gail's body stopping her movement.

"Keep 'em closed Stewart, no peeking!"

They walk hand in hand about 50 feet in the grass before Gail tells her to stop.

"Okay so I said I had something for you, when we were at dinner tonight talking about things, about you being new to the city, I thought I would give you something not many can, because not too many people know about it." Gail let's go of Holly's hand.

"Open your eyes."

Holly's eyes fly open wide as she takes in the city skyline spread out before her in all of its spectacular beauty, a dazzling work of art, a perfection of colors, shapes and lights ablaze.

"Welcome to Toronto, Holly." they stand side by side taking in the marvel of it all.

"Oh, Gail it's so beautiful up here, the city looks amazing!"

"My dad used to bring me and my brother here when we were just kids. I still come up here once in a blue moon, mostly when I need a place to think by myself, but I thought you might like to see it."

Holly slides her hand into Gail's and they stand in silence for several moments.

"I am not sure anyone has done anything quite so thoughtful and lovely for me Gail, you are pretty amazing."

Gail is not sure what to say, a small part of her feels like she should argue or make a snide, snarky comment back or brush it off throwing out how no one else would ever agree with her, but she doesn't. She doesn't say anything except, "Thank you." Then she squeezes Holly's hand gently.

"Can we sit for a bit on the bench over there?" Holly asks.

"Do you have a curfew?"

"No, officer, I think it will be okay."

The walk hand in hand to the bench and sit down next to one another, neither of them letting go of the other. "What is your favorite memory as a kid?" Holly throws out to Gail.

She thinks about the question and all at once the wild laughter begins, "One time Steve and I were at our grandparent's cottage for a week during the summer, I was maybe 6 and Steve was 10 or so I think. Our grandma was reading us 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' and Steve and I decided to build a raft and set sail…on the lake. We knew we should bring food, it was a Sunday afternoon and he sent me into the kitchen to find something to take before we left. I brought out the whole beef roast that was in the Dutch oven meant for Sunday dinner and wrapped it in newspaper."

Holly is doubled over laughing, "You did not!"

"Oh, I most certainly did, it smelled delicious! We set sail on the pond with a raft made from fallen tree limbs and the duct tape we took out of my Grandpa's tool shed. It totally fell apart; we didn't even make it to the middle of the lake."

Holly is crying she is laughing so hard at this point.

Gail looks over at Holly mesmerized. Everything about her is intoxicating, invigorating and as Gail watches her face lit up with laughter in the moonlight she feels her heart pound. Holly runs her hands through her long hair that she has freed from the band that held it, and her eyes seek out Gail's.

Time stopped. They stopped. The world stopped. Holly reaches up with the slightest of touches to Gail's face, slipping her hand along the cops jaw and behind her ear until their mouths meet. It was so slow, so tender and the sparks rip through their entire beings. Then it was over.

The kiss was almost a whisper; it came with no regrets or judgments, no questions or apologies. It simply appeared much like how they met, simply appearing in one anothers lives.

They sat in the silence of the night, holding hands in the moonlight looking out upon the lucid city. From this moment on they will never see anything quite the same.


	4. Chapter 4

Gail thought about many different things during the course of her workday. Cases, calls while on patrol, suspects, paper work that seemed to never end, and what the best options were for lunch that particular day. Dancing in and out of each and every thing that drifted into her mind were short vivid flashes of the single kiss she shared with Holly sitting in the glow of nightfall. Neither woman had reached out to the other for a few days but Gail was oddly okay with slowly basking in the delicious feelings that proudly sauntered around inside her head and heart, confident that they will see each other soon she reminds herself to just be patient, something Gail Peck is not really known to embrace.

"Peck, where are you with the McDaniel's case?" questions Sam on his way to grab coffee?

"Still waiting to interview the girl's Grandfather, Mr. Jacobs, about the drug dealing boyfriend."

" Vigorously stirring creamer into his stale coffee, "Well stop waiting and track him down. Take Chloe with you."

"Aw, Come on, Sam!" slamming closed a case file. "Did I piss you off, somehow?"

Chewing on the red stir from his Styrofoam cup, "No, it's not a blatant punishment Gail. Chloe worked the initial call with you."

"I know and my ears bled for three days afterwards." Begrudgingly Gail rises from her desk. "You're a mean, mean man Sam. I won't ever let you forget that."

"Just long as you remember to call me when you find something!" he shouts heading down the hallway.

Breezing past Chloe's desk, "Hey Price, let's go. Sam wants us to try to get a statement from Lauren McDaniel's grandfather."

Grabbing her things as she follows the blonde, "I have tried calling him a half dozen times and left several very detailed messages to call us."

"You probably terrified the poor man with all your talky, talk Chloe."

Rolling her eyes Chloe Price knows better than to poke the bear.

The house on Pape Street is a modest red brick home with mustard yellow shutters, and a matching front door. The officers climb the stairs to the small porch knocking with no response; they wait a few moments and then try again. Chloe notices mail that has piled up in the black shiny box hanging on the side of the house next to the door.

"Let's take a look around back." Gail offers.

As they head around to the side of the house, a middle aged woman holding a small child in her arms rushes out the front door of the house next door.

"Excuse me ma'am. Have you seen Mr. Jacobs lately?"

"It's been several days, my husband noticed he was not working in his yard on Sunday after church which is something he does like clockwork until winter arrives. Is everything okay?

"We are not sure but here is my card, if you see him or anything strange can you give me a call?"

"Of course. I hope everything is alright, he is a very nice man, and good neighbor." The woman informs them as she makes her way down the stairs.

"I think we should go in, something seems off Gail."

"Agreed, let's see if we can get in through the back."

Gail notices the window on the far side of the house is open just a few inches and manages to hoist herself up far enough to slip onto the wide window sill of the old house raising the screen just enough to slide through. Opening the back door for Chloe the officers draw their flashlights to divide and conquer the space. As they are wandering through the quiet house the only sounds are those of the officers calling out for the man unsuccessfully until Gail hears Chloe yell, "HE'S IN THE BASEMENT AND HE IS VERY DEAD GAIL."

They call dispatch and within a few minutes backup arrives, Gail decides she should find Sam to give her statement and help piece together the timeline from the original call on the case. Hastily heading out the front door as the blonde fiddles with her utility belt securing her flashlight back into place when two bodies clonk together, "Hey! Watch wherrrr, oh God Holly I am so sorry!"

"No, I am sorry! I should have been watching where I was going." Holly grins up at Gail, "Hi."

Gail looks down, the growing smile on her face hard to contain. "Hi. I didn't know you would be here." The blonde throws it out as if they have just run into each other at the local pub.

"It's a dead body thing."

Gail shakes her head, biting down on her bottom lip, "Right."

"Hey are you free Sunday afternoon?"

"Dr. Stewart, are you asking me out at the crime scene involving a dead body."

"I am."

"Okay, good because I am pretty sure I am free." Gail responds very nonchalantly.

"High Park at 1:00pm, by the amphitheater, oh and come hungry."

Admiring Holly as a bold suggestion drips off her tongue, "I am always hungry."

Holly swallows hard, "I gotta go."

Gail laughs at herself, "Goodbye Dr. Stewart." calling out after her.

"Goodbye Officer Peck" and with that forensic pathologist is off to deal with the dead guy waiting for her in the basement.

Gail trots down the stairs with a new found spring in her step, whispering to herself, see Peck, patience.

Sunday morning arrives with Gail feeling a little silly, a little giddy really, like when you wake up on Christmas or your birthday as a kid and the day's events can't happen soon enough. As an adult Gail knew better, don't wish it away, you will see her in a few hours, she thought.

Holly let the pot roast cook overnight in the slow cooker, with fennel, onion and carrots adding a bay leaf and half bottle of her favorite Borolo. The succulent meat fell apart on her cutting board as she sliced away, preparing sandwiches for the lunch with Gail later. It was just a picnic the doctor kept telling herself as butterflies took flight in her stomach, then she remembered the kiss they shared, and the way her body felt pressed tightly against the cop's as they road through the streets of Toronto in the night air. Snapped back into reality by the pungent smell of burnt cookies in the oven, Holly begins to do something she rarely does…cuss.

"Oh for fucks sake", she pulls the charred discs from the oven flinging the scalding hot sheet pan onto the top of the stove. I am going to have to figure something out, she loves dessert. Holly begins opening cupboard doors, piling ingredients on the counter. Smiling at the collection she has gathered deciding on Salted caramel dark chocolate brownies. If that doesn't get me a second kiss I don't know what will.

The park is buzzing with a cornucopia of people, out for a Sunday stroll with sticky faced kids, tail wagging pooches, strollers, walkers and wheelchairs alike, it seems everyone is taking advantage of the beautiful day. Holly waits for Gail right where they agreed, letting herself imagine the shape of the cop's body on her motorcycle, how it leans into curves and how beautiful she looked the night they took the Ferry across the water to dinner on the Islands.

Holly suddenly feels a warm hand slip into hers from behind ,whispering words float into her ear sending chills all through her body, "Sorry I am a little late."

She turns to find Gail before her; Holly is certain she looks more beautiful in this moment, than any other before it. Short blonde hair a sexy mess and Holly can't help but wonder if she can only achieve that look with the help of her motorcycle helmet. Her eyes drift down to Gail's pants, she blinks and then blinks again, and then Holly's inside voice comes to life. Holy God, she has leather pants, on. Who wears leather pants to a park for a picnic? Who looks that good in leather pants? It should kind of be a sin to look that good in them…and the boots…they are so perfec…

"Holly!"

Eyes flinging back to Gail's face, "What?"

"Do you smell toast?"

"Whhaaat?"

Shaking her head with a smile plastered on her lips, "I need to know if you are stroking out on me, Hol!"

A bit mortified Holly squeezes out her own embarrassed smile, "I am sorry, Yes, I am fine. You umm, you look really good, that's all. Who told you diagnosing a stroke is based on smelling toast?"

"I can't reveal my sources Dr. Stewart, you know that..."

"Please tell me it's not WebMD."

"No way, I don't look at that site."

"Thank goodness."

"Wikipedia"

"Oh, Gail!"

"I am kidding!"

They both bust out laughing, knocking into one another like teenagers and when they regroup their hands have melded together into a twisted union of one.

"So you packed us a lunch?"

"I did."

"I already like you, Stewart. You are all about the food."

Playfully pushing into the blonde, "That is all I am to you, a source of food?"

"No. Don't forget a source of warmth on the back of the motorcycle."

Holly's heart strains at the thought, "Oh, I don't think anyone is forgetting that."

Neither is willing to take it further, but the playful banter between them happens with effortless ease.

"I am not sure if you like Jazz or Blues but there are some musicians who play on Sunday afternoons on the stage of the amphitheater, they are starting in a bit and I packed a picnic so I thought we could eat, and chat and have a bit of background music."

"I love all music, classic rock and old country are my favorites but so much music can be rooted back to the blues. Eric Clapton says he would not be the musician he is today without the influence of blues when he was a kid. He listened to a radio show hosted by a guy called 'Uncle Mac' and he would sometimes play the blues on the show."

Holly just can't stop herself; she leans over and kisses Gail on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Just for being you. "

"Wow that may be the best reward I have ever gotten for just being me."

"I am glad you think so. What do you think about the picnic table over there behind those trees, we can still hear but we can also talk and not disturb anyone?"

"I like the trees with the fern looking leaves."

"Me too, let's sit there."

Holly hoists the basket on top of the tabletop and begins to unload the food. "I hope you are hungry."

"Always."

"Good." Holly places several containers and foil wrapped objects on the table along with a thermos, plates and silverware.

"So there are pot roast sandwiches with a herb aioli and arugula on French loaf, fresh fruit salad with a vanilla infused honey, potato salad with leeks and lemon zest, and for dessert…salted caramel brownies."

"Ok, well that sounds amazing! Where did you get all this stuff?"

Handing Gail a napkin, "In my kitchen, I made it."

"From scratch?"

"From scratch."

Gail steps up on the seat of the bench and sits atop the table. She reached over and gently tugs at Holly's shirt encouraging the woman forward, as she captures Holly's lips in her own, their mouths relinquish to each other, until they finally pull apart seconds later.

"What was that for?" asks Holly a bit stunned at Gail's boldness.

"Just for being you." Gail slides back down to her seat. "Now let's eat."

Gail peels back the foil to reveal the prize inside, wrapping her mouth around the overstuffed sandwich she closes her eyes as she slowly chews, savoring each flavor that explodes in her mouth.

"Oh my god this is seriously the best sandwich I have ever eaten. I am not lying and I am not saying that in hopes that you will kiss me some more, I am serious Hol, this is fucking delicious!"

"I am sorry, can you say that again."

"Seriously this is the best fuu.."

"Nooo, the other part, about hoping I will want to kiss you."

Chewing on a strawberry, "Oh, that part. I guess that just kinda slipped out."

"uh huh."

They eat and talk telling stories of crazy antics and childhood memories. Gail declares Holly's pot roast even better than her grandmother's. Holly feels like she has known Gail for an eternity and wonders how it is possible to feel this at ease with someone in such a short time. There are slight touches, and warm looks between them both, Holly reminds herself this is only their second outing. Go Slow, but the challenge of not pushing ahead is indeed a struggle.

Gail reaching for the gooey brownies, is quickly stopped by Holly's hand on hers.

"Wait, wait wait…. I have something to go with those brownies."

Holly unscrews the metal thermos and pours the wine into two red solo cups, handing one to Gail.

"It's the rest of the Borolo I used to roast the beef in last night."

Gail raises her glass, "to the most wonderful cook I have ever met, and a pretty amazing woman as well!"

The music begins as they drink their wine in silence listening to the unspoken words between them whirling around the music, they both know at some point they need to talk about what this is, but that time is not now.

It took hold like the beat of a drum; the rain fell in a lazy pitter patter around them. They watched as people gathered their things and ran toward the parking lots. The band stopped and all at once it felt like Gail and Holly were all alone in a giant vast land all their own.

Gail helped Holly pack up the basket and as they went to make a run for it the heavens fully opened showering them with forceful drops of cooling relief spilling all around them. Holly does not remember letting the basket fall to the ground but she certainly remembers the feeling of Gail's lips finding hers, the way the cop's tongue refused to be denied entrance into Holly's warm mouth. Hands on faces, fingers tracing smooth skin and quick kisses on cheeks, hard peaks and soft tender places dripping wet longing for everything they could not get enough of as the thunderous beating of two hearts began to roar.

Then it was still. The rains stopped, the skies were quiet and the two women were left a giant soaking mess of complete joyful ecstasy.

I have a feeling we might be heading into an M rating for some future chapters, I will make sure to label them accordingly but it will be a slow burn. Please continue to let me know your thoughts and comments. Thank you so much for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Holly found herself behind on two autopsies and a slew of reports as she was rushing around in a frantic attempt to get herself in route to the crime scene in an old warehouse just outside of Downsview as soon as possible. Two college kids had been carjacked and ultimately found dead in the decrepit building that had not seen much activity in over a decade.

As she headed out the door, Holly asked her morgue manager, Rodney to put the final touches on a couple of toxicology reports and start some work on carbon dating a set of bones that had been found in a wooded lot next to the Loblaw's supermarket on lower Jarvis street. "Go, I've got this Dr. Stewart!" Rodney said with a reassuring smile.

"Text me if you need anything", yelling behind her as she leaves "and thank you!"

It was just about lunchtime when Rodney felt someone's eyes on him, he turned to look through the glass reflection to find that an irritated looking cop was staring back at him. Once they made eye contact Gail opened the door and let herself into the 'Authorized Personnel Only' space.

"Who are you?"

"Rodney."

"Well Rodney, I am looking for Dr. Stewart, is she around?"

Snapping off his gloves Rodney cautiously moves a bit closer to the blonde cop, "No. She is out at a crime scene, I am not sure when she will be back."

Out of habit Gail finds herself inadvertently glaring at the young man.

"Umm, do you want to wait?"

"Oh, no! I mean, No thanks. I can come back." Gail turns to leave before suddenly remembering the box she is holding in her left hand.

Pausing, "Wait, could I leave something for her?"

"Is it a body part?" Rodney inquires with raised eye browns. "Cause I would need use proper refrigeration standards."

"Rodney, you don't get out much do you? No, it's not a body part, so keep it out of the refrigerator please. "

"I will put it on her desk, officer."

She hands Rodney the box turning to leave, "Don't tell her I was here okay, just let her find the box."

"Ok. Will do."

"Thanks."

Gail leaves the morgue just a tad bit uneasy that she has left the gift to Holly in Rodney's questionable hands. A wing-man he is not.

Holly arrives back at the lab much later than she anticipated. The crime scene was horrendous, two kids carjacked, taken to a remote location tortured, and then set on fire. The autopsies will take days to process. She just wants to grab a quick cup of coffee, and then get started so she is not at work all night. Dropping her bag on the chair just inside her office door the doctor heads straight to her desk hoping she does not have a slew of e-mails to deal with before grabbing that coffee downstairs. She sees a small oblong box wrapped in beautiful plaid printed paper with a silver bow on one end. She gently tears through the paper opening the box and removing the deep red tissue paper to find a stunning pair of black motorcycle gloves. Along with the gloves tucked just inside is a handwritten note;

Hi, Hol-

Whenever you are ready to start those lessons let me know, there is a girl who is waiting to teach you everything she knows.

P.S It's my turn to take you to dinner.

G

Holly's smile is wide, biting her bottom lip as she thinks about the blonde stopping in to see her and how thoughtful of a gift she left behind.

Calling out to the lab, "Rodney, what time did Gail stop by?"

"Who?"

"Officer Peck?"

"The cranky cop?"

"That was probably her, was she really that cranky?" Holly questions as she slips on her white coat, pulling her hair up into a tight ponytail behind her head.

"She just looks….terrifying. Like she is going to chew you up and spit you out in little morsels at any given moment."

Holly laughs at that thought, "as if" she thinks, remembering the officer's soft lips as the scene of kissing the cop in the rain replays in her mind.

"I think she might be more intense that terrifying, Rodney. Gail is pretty fantastic."

Rodney looks at her thinking that justification is iffy at best, "Whatever you say Dr. Stewart."

Pulling out the notes from the crime scene at the warehouse, she briefs Rodney letting him know they have a long night ahead. She glances down at her hands imagining her new gloves fitting perfectly and gripping the handlebars of Gail's bike. She might just make it through this night after all.

Holly finishes work well after 3:00am, arriving home and in bed just as the sun is about to rise in a few short hours. She would sleep until 9:00am and then call Gail to thank her for being so amazingly sweet.

Grabbing her usual double shot latte on the way into work the next morning, Holly remembers she actually does not have Gail's phone number. They never exchanged them always randomly running into each other and setting up their plans. Holly thought of calling the station but doubted they would give out personal numbers, but she could just ask for Officer Peck and leave a message, or she could pick up a coffee for her in hopes she was at the station but had not yet started her shift and deliver the thank you in person.

Holly spotted Gail's bike in the parking lot on the far side of the building, which instantly made her heart race, she entered the main doors and asked to speak to Officer Gail Peck.

"She is not available, she's is in a meeting."

Holly looked at the name printed on the man's uniform, "Ok, well could I leave something for her officer Epstein?"

"Um, sure." Replied Dov, wondering how Gail knew this woman.

"I am an old friend and I wanted to drop off a coffee for her, you know, help get the day started right."

Dov's face is sporting a look of sheer bewilderment, thinking to himself ,Gail does not have" friends" and certainly not old friends, Gail is the queen of burning bridges, Yes ma'am I will make sure she gets it."

Holly flashes him a quick smile and holds her hand up in a semi wave goodbye, "Thank you officer, have a good day!" as she disappears out the doors behind her.

"My pleasure."

Dov immediately heads down to the Guns and Gangs offices where he knows Gail is getting up to speed on an undercover op she is working next week with for her brother and Swarak. Dov walks over to Gail pushing her feet off the chair they are lazily propped up on as he crosses in front of her presenting the coffee.

"Did you spit in it."

"No."

Gail takes a gulp.

"This is really good, where is it from?"

"A smoking hot brunette, who stopped by asking for you."

Gail spit the coffee all over the desk, Dov and a pile of reports waiting to be combed through.

"Sorry! What?"

Grabbing the cup back from Gail, "Look, she even wrote her number on the cup, which I find strange because she said you were old friends."

Dov crosses his arms in front of her waiting for the explanation with a saccharine sweet smile upon his face.

"Well, we are old friends, and this was VERY nice of her to do Dov, it's not a crime for someone to do something nice for me." She smiles thinking of Holly at the picnic with all the food she made from scratch and how much thought went into planning the menu.

"Gail you are smiling and it's freaking us all out. ", Looking over at Sam, "are you freaked out by Peck smiling right now?"

"Nah, it's nice, in a weird kinda totally suspicious, awkward way."

Trying to wipe up the coffee with a napkin, "I am right here you know." tossing the soggy napkin in the trash, "Are we done? I would like to finish this delicious beverage in peace and quiet."

Sam throws a manila envelope at her, study what's inside. You are going to need to know every detail of how these guys are operating their trafficking cartel."

"You got it, Sam."

Gail leaves nonchalantly strolling down the hall as if she has not a care in the world, but as soon as she turns the corner she picks up the pace to get herself to one of the evidence room as fast as possible. Once safe among old boxes of god knows what, Gail pulls out her cell phone staring at the number scribbled on the cup, which is still warm in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she dials.

"Forensics, this is Dr. Stewart."

"Do you always write your phone number on paper coffee cups and give them out to girls?"

"Only ones I make out with in the rain?"

"Hmm she must have been pretty good?"

"Oh, she was. "

"How good?"

"Good enough I want to do it again."

"Specifically in the rain, or would a dry environment be acceptable?"

Silence.

"Gail?"

A pause.

"Yes."

"Can I see you tonight? I would like to say thank you for my gift in person, Gail I love the gloves and can't wait for my first lesson."

"Would you like to go out to dinner, I can't guarantee rain though."

"I have only had a few hours' sleep, this case is brutal but would you be up for take-out at my place tonight? I should be done by 6:30pm or so."

"I get off at 7:00pm; I can head to your place after I shower. I will swing by and pick up food on the way over, anything specific sound good?"

"Anything is great with me, I am easy." The minuet the words come out of her mouth the doctor can't believe those words just came out of her mouth, I am such a dork.

On the other end Gail has about a dozen witty, vulgar comebacks on the tip of her tongue but she does not say any of them. She is not completely sure why, but her first thought it she just doesn't have to, it's not about trying to be someone else. Maybe it's the opposite; maybe it's about just being herself with someone who feels safe.

"Gail, are you there?"

"Yes! I am totally here! Thai, how does that sound?"

"Perfect beyond words!"

"Then I will see you tonight Dr. Stewart."

"I can't wait to see you Gail."

"Me too."

And with that call the day just got a whole lot better for both of them.

Holly managed to get out of the morgue just a little after 6:00pm, the day had been grueling, the case involving the deaths of the two young torture victims may be her hardest yet. She is drained, she is raw but the thought of seeing Gail gives her the second wind she needs to whip up a batch of toffee chocolate chip cookies throwing them in the over before jumping in the shower and changing into a fresh pair of jeans, and a soft grey three button long-sleeved henely that hugs her in all the right places. Her hair is down, still a little damp and she decided to go with contacts instead of her glasses tonight. She picks out a white Gewurtztraminer that should go perfectly with the Thai food but knows there is backup beer in the fridge in case beer seems like the better option.

The knock comes just a few minutes before 8:00pm; Holly can smell Gail before she actually sees her.

Opening the door to find the blond in front of here with a giant brown paper bag stapled at the top, and flowers. "Oh my god that smells amazing."

Gail shoves the flowers forward, "I thought you might have had a tough day with the Downsview case, the whole station was talking about it."

"They are beautiful." Holly takes the flowers and slips her hand inside Gail's leading her to the kitchen.

Gail sets the bag of food on the granite counter top, "I hope you are hungry. I didn't really know what you liked so I got Green Curry Chicken, Mango Salad, Pad Thai with Shrimp, Beef with Basil, oh and Spring Rolls with extra lemongrass dipping sauce." Looking at Holly with a silly smile and scrunched up forehead, "because I thought that those might be your favorite thing? Which really means I freaking love them, and I hope you do too."

Holly boldly steps toward Gail, "I am sorry, I just…I can't wait." She pulls Gail into a hug, grabbing on tightly, letting go of the day, and all the awful things she saw examining the remains of those kids. She breaths in the intoxicating smell of Gail, her skin, her soap, the leather of her jacket and as she finds solace in those things they fill her lungs, her entire being, as she sinks into a new found calm. Gail wraps her arms tightly around Holly taking in all she is shedding in that moment. Finally Holly lets go.

"I am so glad you're here." She smiles at the cop.

Gail smiles back, "Hey do I smell brownies?"

"So close, but no, not brownies."

Gail looks at her with forced dramatic sadness on her face. "Not brownies?"

"My nana's special secret Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies."

"Let's eat so we can get to dessert, then!"

Laughing at Gail for her childlike enthusiasm for all things dessert, Holly hands a plate to the cop, "I thought we could eat outside on the enclosed patio on the deck."

"Sounds amazing."

"Beer or white wine?"

"What are you having?" Gail asks.

"I don't know, the wine would be really good with the Thai but I kinda feel like it's a cold beer night."

"Who are you, with all your perfect talk about beer and nana's secret cookies?"

"Is that 'Peck' for, a beer sounds great?"

"Yes, please."

They open cartons and containers, dishing out noodles, and helpings of the curry, beef and spring rolls on their plates and decide to eat the juicy mango salad right out of the container.

Gail picks up her beer clinks it against Holly's and makes a toast, "To one of the most brilliant women ever." she looks at Holly so sweetly, "to nanna!" winking at the beautiful woman sitting next to her.

"Gail, the cookies could be awful!", chewing on a crispy spring roll.

"Unlikey", as the blonde steals the dipping sauce.

"So, I think I freaked Rodney out when I stopped by yesterday."

"Nah, he is just shy and a little awkward, but he is very sweet."

"I am sorry I missed you, I am even more sorry you had to be at that crime scene, Holly."

Holly puts her fork down, takes a slow sip from her beer before speaking, "This case, well it makes me ashamed to be a human being." Averting her eyes from Gail, "The malice and evil in the world when it presents itself on my morgue table will never get easier. Some days it's just unbelievably tough, but I know that I am now the voice for two kids. It's a lot of pressure, but I will do everything in my power to figure out exactly what happened to them both."

Gail plays with the fraying paper on her beer bottle, "I never thought about it like that, Holly. Now I understand why you do it. Victims like that have no one to tell their story, I mean detectives can give guesses and make up pretty good theories about what they think went down, but you, what you do is uncover the reality, the hard core facts of what really happened without the bullshit novelty of assumption.

There an awkward silence between the two, Gail senses Holly is tentative to continue, so the cop puts down her drink, and her fork giving the doctor her full attention.

"My sister was abducted when I was 12 years old. She was found two weeks later in a ravine. The killer would have gotten off if not for the testimony of the medical examiner. The killer died in prison three years ago."

"Holly, I am so sorry. I can't imagine. That explains your dedication to the job, what you do and why you are so passionate about this case." Reaching over to take her hand, "I think you're amazing, in case I am not good about saying it."

Running her thumb gently over Gail's knuckles, "Thank you, I think you are equally amazing and I can't believe that the universe just kinda threw us as each other, ya know?

"I do. I have thought about it a lot the last week or so..." Nervously Gail asks, "Do you want another beer?"

"Sure."

Holly clears the plates and goes to the fridge grabbing two more beers, "Hey you wanna go inside by the fireplace and get more comfortable?"

Gail wonders if it's Holly that has her so nervous she didn't even have seconds, or if it's the offer to get more comfortable on the couch.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want to clean up first." As she gets up from the table.

"Nah, I will take care of it later, let's sit."

Beers in hand, they move to the living room, sit down on the couch slightly turned toward each other so they can talk with ease, Gail nervously drains half her beer with her first swig. "Holly, I have never been with a woman before. Not even a little bit."

As much as she wants to shoot her a crooked grin and pull Gail into a kiss, she knows Gail needs to talk and if she is completely honest, so does she. Holly pulls her legs up to her chest, wraps her arms around them and listens intently.

"I can't stop thinking about you though; I mean this is crazy, right? I think about you when I am not with you and then when I am with you all I can think about it how amazing it is that I am spending time with you and then we kissed and I can't stop thinking about that either." Gail realizes she is rambling.

"Then I find myself rambling, like now and even worse in my own head trying to justify everything and label it and figure it out. I feel safe with you Holly, safe to not rely on the parts of me I don't like so much to protect myself, safe to let my guard down. Does that make any sense at all?"

Straightening her legs out and sliding closer, she takes Gail's hands in hers, "It makes perfect sense to me. I don't know how you are with other people but I love who you are with me, and I am really touched that you trust me to show that side of yourself. I promise you I won't ever take that lightly. I feel it too, you know that right? I don't know how to explain it either and I have been with women before but nothing has ever felt quite like this. "

"Really?"

"Yes really"

"Do you think I am gay?"

"I think you are open to having a connection with someone regardless of their gender, I think that labels only put pressure on people, especially if you are not ready to identify as any one thing. I am not really big into pushing people to label themselves and I am also not a fan of doing anything you are not ready to do. Gail, there is no road map, we can go slow and figure it out along the way when it gets bumpy."

"Do you consider yourself a lesbian?"

"Well I have not slept with a man since college, so fifteen years ago give or take, and while I know some amazing men, my ball is pretty well in the lesbian court these days but I would never say never I guess."

"Oh great, now I have to contend with both men and woman who think your stunningly beautiful."

"I think there are less of those people that you might think." running her hand up to graze over the blonde's wrist lightly.

"Oh, really? Well when Dov brought me the coffee you left this morning, he said and I quote 'A smoking hot brunette, stopped by asking for you', and they loved the fact you wrote your number on the cup. Very smooth Dr. Stewart."

Holly gets up and moves to sit on Gail's lap, leaning into her so that Holly's mouth trails upward planting a light kiss on the soft spot right under the blonde's ear, whispering in that sexy low voice, "I didn't have your phone number officer…" kissing her jawline and moving down, "…and I wanted to make contact with you…" her mouth finds Gail's and they breathe into one another, capturing the blonde's bottom lip between hers, lightly tugging and biting as Gail can't manage to hold back the audible moan that escapes her mouth. Tongues dance with a welcome invitation refusing to stay separate. Gail feels every inch of her body come alive, on fire as she tastes the sparks flying from Holly's tongue.

Holly knows enough that they have to stop, as if this train is not already raging down the tracks at record speed, all consuming has its consequences and as amazing as this feels she knows slower is the right thing to do.

Pulling back, "Mmm, you know what I want right now?"

"Does it involve less clothes?" Gail asks with a raised eyebrow.

Holly gets up off the couch, leaving one quick kiss behind on the officer's lips, "Not unless you eat your cookies naked Peck…"

 

Thank you so much for taking time to read. If you could leave some feedback if you like the story I would really appreciate it!


	6. Chapter 6

"Maybe I should start on a Vespa?"

In the vacant school parking lot on a lazy Sunday morning adventure, Holly is sitting on Gail's motorcycle by herself as Gail goes through all of the controls on the bike.

"Okay, you have your throttle, your front hand brake over here which controls about 70% of your stopping power the other 30% comes from your foot brake. On the far side you have your clutch lever, and then there are secondary controls, starting with your ignition and power switch..."

Holly hooks her finger under Gail's belt and pulls the blonde to her, "You have no idea how sexy you are right now." Holly starts the kiss with her tongue demanding entrance to its destination.

"Wai…wait, wait. Oh my god, wait! Holly this is about safety and making sure you understand the logistics of the bike and how everything works backwards and forwards before you can even think about riding."

Holly straightens herself back up," ...and the sexy is gone."

"I will bring sexy back when I drive us home. Pay attention, Stewart!"

"Okay, okay."

"You have your gauges, the speedometer and gas gauge, those are pretty self-explanatory, the headlights, turn signals and the horn which is directly below. Then you have your foot controls, this is very important, Hol."

"I am paying attention!"

"Your back break is on the right side; put your foot right here." Pointing down.

Gail runs her hand down Holly's lower leg moving her heel back to make contact with the break lever. Do you feel that?"

"Mmm, yes. I do."

"Holly!"

"Gail you just ran your hand down my leg, I can't help it!"

Continuing on, ignoring Holly at all costs, "On the left side is your gear selector and it is probably going to be the hardest thing to get your head around. It's all about feeling when the shifting of gears needs to happen. There are six gears generally, but some bikes only have five, neutral lives between first and second gear. You will get a feel for neutral but it will also light up, right here on the dashboard. You have to really concentrate until you find the sweet spot."

"Can I point out you just used the words 'sweet spot'."

Gail realizes she is losing this battle.

"Okay, let's try something different." Gail slides on the bike behind Holly and gently moves the doctor's hair to one side, giving the blonde easy access to Holly's right ear.

"Here is what we are going to do since you can't seem to concentrate anyway, I am going to cover your eyes with my hands and whisper what part of the bike I want you to point out, either with your hands or feet."

"Oh my god, we do not spend nearly enough time on this motorcycle."

"If you want to feel me on the back of this bike pushed up against you, then you're going to have to learn to ride Dr. Stewart, and you can't do that without shifting gears." , running her hands around Holly's waist and down to her upper thighs.

"Gail you have to stop."

"Shhh! Concentrate."

Gail pulls her hands back only to return them to cover Holly's eyes, kissing the nape of her exposed neck softly, she whispers…"where is the hand break?" Holly squeezes the clutch. "Nope you have just killed us as we spin out of control and go over the embankment."

Holly rolls her eyes trying not to laugh, "So very dramatic."

"Because I really like you Stewart I am going to give you another chance to redeem yourself. Gail kisses Holly's shoulder dragging her lips away slowly with purpose. Holly lets out a groan, "That is not a complete answer Holly and I have not even asked the question yet. How did you ever make it through medical school?"

"You better be rewarding me with one hell of a kiss after this is over. I am done playing around! I have totally got this, give it to me."

Gail busts out laughing at that gem, "Oh, I plan on it." kissing Holly one more time on the side of her cheek she fires off the parts of the bike they have gone over and Holly gets every single one correct.

"Well, done babe! I am going to turn on the bike and reach around to the handlebars. I want you to put your left foot on top of my foot, and we are going to talk through the gears. Remember you always have to have the clutch engaged shifting gears."

Gail powers up the bike, pulls tight on the clutch and puts her foot on the gear shift. "Okay put your foot on mine." Holly does as instructed, doing her best to pay attention, focusing on the prize of one day being able to ride around with Gail on the back of the bike.

"One of the most important things to remember is that neutral is located half way between first and second of course you can by-pass neutral and go straight from first to second."

"Yeah, I think we are living proof of that, Gail."

"Hey! No interruptions with your sexy talk. Okay put your foot on top of mine. Here we are in neutral, and now first", moving her foot through the shifting motions, "there is second, third and so on, it's really a matter of doing it over and over until it's simply muscle memory and second nature to you."

Gail cuts off the bike, swings her leg over and hops off, she then stands to face Holly instructing her to scoot back, once there is free space Gail slides back onto the bike facing Holly. "You do realize that you are kind of an awful student, very easily distracted." Holly kisses Gail, urgent and dripping with want, muttering as she pulls back slightly, "I am acting out in hopes of getting some attention from the instructor." Gail intensifies the kiss, sliding her hand around to Holly's back pulling her forward. Holly reaches around running her fingers through Gail's short messy hair.

Gail pulls back, "I am weak for you, Stewart and that is a new thing for me. Next Sunday I expect you to know all the parts, and the gears." Kissing her chin, "Got it?"

Holly pulls Gail into tight hug. "Oh, I will be ready, don't you worry. Hey, thank you for my first lesson; you really are a very good teacher. ", tracing a finger down her neck through the center of her chest stopping just above her belly button. "I am just pretty smitten with you, so it's hard to focus, but I promise I will do better next week. How about I buy you breakfast?"

Smiling as she hands Holly her helmet, "How about I drive."

The brunch spot was hopping, but they managed to grab a booth toward the back in a corner away from the hustle and bustle of the Sunday crowd. Both ordered coffee and Gail didn't even look at a menu, informing Holly that she always ordered the same thing at breakfast declaring, "Blueberry pancakes, with crispy bacon, everything else is just a sorry substitution, except donuts. " Holly ordered her veggie frittata with goat cheese and a side of home fries anyway.

Gail was nervously twisting her used sugar packs into perfect rings, she watched Holly for a moment who was pouring a touch of cream in her coffee before Gail began speaking, "I was wondering what would happen if someone asked you out?"

Holly cocks her head at the question, "What do you mean?"

The waitress appears refilling their waters and setting down a bottle of maple syrup in front of Gail before walking away.

"Well what if that waitress thought you were cute, and wanted to ask you out? What would you do?"

"Ah, I see."

Holly takes Gail's hand and turns it over, softly tracing the course of her love-line jagged across her hand, "Gail, I am not interested in being with anyone, I am not interested in kissing anyone or daydreaming about anyone but you. I don't know what you are comfortable with, if you would like to say the words to one another that we are exclusively dating or hanging out together or shifting gears together, none of those labels matter to me if you are not ready to say them. I want you be comfortable." Holly looks over at Gail who is staring down at the table. "Hey, can you look at me?", blue eyes suddenly launch upward. "Hi. I am not going anywhere if that is what you're asking. I really care for you."

Gail swallows hard, she tries to push them down but they bubble right up to the surface, tumbling over onto her cheeks. Deciding to let them fall where they may, "That is what I am asking. I am not easy Holly, I am not known for being kind or patient or for being any good at relationships. The thought of messing things up with you, well it makes me want to do things differently if that makes sense. I want to fuck up less than I ever have before and I sure in the hell am not interested in seeing anyone else. "

Holly is shocked at just how the layers come off with Gail, at what moments she is granted a peek inside Gail's walls, her soft underbelly exposed just for a moment testing the waters for safety.

"I am not looking for easy; I am not looking for perfect. I am certainly not either of those two things, Gail. I mess up, I get angry, I am cranky and life happens, awful shitty things happen, but being able to both take a step in the direction the other needs in those moments is what makes any good friendship or relationship work. I am really just looking for someone who is willing to take that step."

Gail lifts Holly's hand to her mouth and kisses her palm, "You forgot to mention your inability to focus."

Holly takes a sip of her coffee, "Well thank goodness I have you to remind me of that, and try not to look so good all the time, that would help me out immensely." She smiles over at the woman who is quickly setting up shop in her heart.

Gail takes a deep breath, "I have to go undercover next week and I wanted to tell Traci and my brother that we are dating, I want to tell them for two reasons. They are pretty important people to me and I want them to know the smile I have been unable to wipe off my face at work, which by the way has everyone freaked out, is because of you. There is also another reason I want them to know and I don't want you to freak out okay?"

Furrowed brows appear, "Okay?"

"I am not trying to scare you, but the undercover thing is a little dangerous, and if anything were to happen to me, unless someone knew I wanted you contacted you would never know. I want our relationship to be about being honest, to each other and the people in our lives that mean the most to us."

"Define a little dangerous, Gail?"

"It's just an international drug cartel."

The waitress appears with the food, setting down a huge platter of pancakes and bacon in front of Gail, who already has her silverware at the ready, "I am starving."

Holly feels like she might vomit. Yes, Gail is a police officer and it is a very dangerous job but she didn't realize undercover was part of the deal. She knows Gail has just taken a big step in finding the courage to be more honest with Holly than most people in her life so she can't completely freak out, but she also can't shove her fears down in hopes it will all be fine.

"How long will the undercover operation last?", as she pushes food around her plate.

Gail looks up to see the look of complete dread and fear on Holly's face, "Oh God, I am so sorry, I really didn't mean to upset you. It will be a couple of days, and I promise I will have Traci check in with you each and every day. She can't give you details but she can tell you I am fine."

None of those words helped really, and the tears came. Gail slid out of her side of the booth and into Holly's side. Gail finds her hand, interlocks their fingers together and simply sits with her.

Holly moves her plate back and turns to Gail, "I want you to know that I am going to be okay with all of this, and I know as a police officer you will be put in very dangerous situations but I just didn't think about the undercover stuff. We have been kind of walking around on cloud nice for the past month inside our own little bubble. An amazingly wonderful, 'I can't seem to get enough of you bubble', and even though we are taking things slow, well not all of me is on board with that pace."

"I am confused Holly, we have barely visited second base, what are you talking about?"

Holly laughs out loud at the cop's baseball score book, "My heart Gail, I can't pace how my heart feels and I am completely falling for you, and it terrifies me."

The kiss tasted like smoky maple syrup heaven, sticky and sweet, intense in a powerful way that would have knocked Holly off her feet if she was not sitting down. Gail did not respond with words but she didn't have to, everything that needed to be said was being communicated with every breath they shared during the confirmation that Gail too had indeed fallen for Holly


	7. Chapter 7

Holly sat at her desk staring at the smart phone lying in the middle of all her work clutter. She was debating, disputing, contemplating with herself, until finally reaching a conclusion that there was absolutely no reason not to call and ask. She slid her hand to the phone, spinning it around with her finger a few times before finally snatching it up and dialing Gail's number.

The cop picked up on the first ring, "I was just thinking about you."

"Did you find a dead body?"

Laughing out loud, "No dead bodies yet, but I am riding with Dov today and there is no guarantee I won't kill him this shift."

"What exactly were you thinking about then?" inquires the doctor.

Gail shifts her eyes over to Epstein, who is totally listening to every word she is saying, "

"Oh, that is something I am happy to show you later, it's no problem at all."

"Hmm, someone can't talk right now, eh? Well, I have a question for you and I want you to have time to think about it. No big deal if you can't or don't want to go I totally understand. I hate these kind of things, but I need to go to this one, it's important and I am expected to be there…"

Gail abruptly cuts her off, "Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I will go to your fancy event with you." Gail says unwrapping a piece of gum from its foil.

"You will?"

Shoving the minty stick in her mouth, "Yep, but you have to make some more of those Nana cookies."

"Unlimited supplies can be arranged! It's next Saturday; do you think that will work out with the thing you're doing?"

"Holly, you have to at least be able to say it."

"'Under the Covers', how about I call it that? It just sounds nicer."

"Hmm, sounds like a pick up line to me, Stewart.", Gail plays with the foil remains from her gum, "Hey, I have to go but yes, it should all work out fine. "

Holly can tell Gail has a smile on her face, "Perfect, now I just might be looking forward to this thing after all. Have a good day officer."

"You too, I will talk to you later."

Dov does not speak for several minutes and Gail thinks to herself that she sure in the hell is not offering anything up for discussion regarding the phone call that just ended in his presence.

"So, that was your old friend?" Dov finally blurts out.

"Yep"

Gail fiddles with the knob on the radio.

"That's it? That is all you have to say? You were giggly Gail, I just heard you giggle."

"So? Has the all-powerful Epstein suddenly declared being happy a felony and no one wrote it on a sticky note for me? Just remember I would be sharing a cell with your girlfriend who pretty much farts sunshine, Dov."

Riding back to the station happened in complete silence neither of them speaking another word.

Sam is perched on the corner of a desk in the Guns and Gangs office pointing to a photo pinned to the cork board, "There is a lot in play here, and we need this to work in order to get us to Sal Controni where the stakes are much higher and we can get our hands on the intel for how exactly the drugs are getting into this country. He has successfully smuggled 8 metric tons of cocaine to date into Canada."

Gail is looking over her notes one more time, she feels confident in her ability to fit in, to remember the specific details of the bio they have created for her, the run down on key players and what to do if there is a misstep.

"So, no wire Peck. You will go in with a burner cell but they will probably confiscate it fairly quickly. We have a guy on the inside, he is the set-up man, who knows you through a connection in the US, you have the reputation for moving large quantities of heroin and cocaine across countries. You will know it's him because he has "untouchable" tattooed on the left side of his neck. "

"Charming."

"Yeah, well he got it proving his loyalty to these thugs so let's hope you don't come back with "ice princess" tattooed on your forehead." Sam throws a dimpled grin her way as he continues on, "you will have a firearm, it's a DB 380 about as far away from a cop's gun as you can get. It is untraceable by anyone but us, it looks like it has been stolen, serial number is scratched off." Handing her the weapon, "I want you to take it to the range tonight and again tomorrow, get a feel for it Gail. I want you to be really comfortable handling it, you will not be hiding it, you will holster it and you have to sell them on the fact that this has been your weapon for a while. It may end up being your lifeline. "

Blowing out the breath she has been holding, "It's a 6+1 so am I carrying an extra mag with me?"

"Nope, you got seven shots if you need them. There is always a chance they are going to strip the gun from you, so no reason to have to explain if you would get caught with the extra ammo."

"Any other questions?"

"We leave Monday afternoon; if everything goes as planned we are out by Thursday night, Friday at the latest?"

"You know the drill; there are no guarantees on an undercover op like this. Do you have somewhere else to be?

Sliding out of her chair, "Nope, just need to find someone to feed my cat, while I am gone Sammy."

Yelling after her as she walks out the door, "You don't have a cat, Peck!"

Gail walks down the hall to the entrance of the morgue, she has already ducked into the bathroom making sure she is not a mess and semi-presentable before she pops in on Holly at her workplace for the second time. Only this time the cop is not in uniform and is secretly praying Holly is there so Gail can avoid another awkward exchange with Rodney.

Gail sees the doctor before she reaches the glass door and it stops her mid step. Wearing powder blue drawstring scrubs and a matching v neck shirt under her white coat, she is seated at the desk in the morgue looking through charts, her hair is pulled on top of her head and there is a pen stuck through the center. Her glasses have crept down just a bit as she taps a finger on her top lip, deep in thought over whatever was occupying the space in her beautiful mind.

Sticking her head in as she slowly opens the door, "Hey, is it okay if I come in?"

The paperwork falls from her hands, "Of course! Well this is a nice surprise." Walking toward each other until the space between them has disappeared.

"Hi." Holly whispers as she pulls Gail into her.

"Mmm, well hello, Dr. Stewart." Looking suspiciously around the space, "Are we alone?" Holly's eyes do not move from the locked gaze they hold on the sea of blue before her, she simply shakes her head yes.

Throwing out the challenge, "Then you should probably kiss me."

Holly walks Gail backwards until she is up against the stainless steel countertop next to the sink; the doctor's body pushed firmly against her. Holly kisses the blonde's cheek, and then pulls her mouth next to Gail's ear whispering, "Perhaps this is what you were thinking about earlier?"

Pushing back, Gail's mouth answers with a feverish response as her tongue slides into the places it has yet to discover inside Holly's mouth. The kiss is drenched with every thread of passion that weaves through them both as they melt together. Holly finally breaks away gasping for air.

Gail raises one eyebrow nervously biting at her bottom lip, "That is actually what I was thinking about earlier."

"Wow, well I certainly admire how you put your thoughts into action…" Holly wipes her mouth with the back of her hand …"that is pretty remarkable officer."

Tracing her finger along the V of Holly's scrub top, "I have to go prep some things for work, but I was wondering if I could come over tonight. I talked to Sam and we leave on Monday afternoon, so you have me for two more nights… if you want me."

Holly's stomach flips at the pause in the proposed question. She can't stop herself, the words ooze from her mouth as she licks her lips, "Trust me when I say, I want you."

Gail finds Traci back at the station in the women's locker room shuffling through her duffel bag and tossing out a string of frustration, "Damn, damn, damn."

Gail straddles the bench, "Is this duffle bag causing you grief? Cause I can totally take it down for you…."

"Ha, no but if you could find Leo's report card that I am supposed to sign, I will make you a detective."

Gail lies back on the bench, "Hey Trac, I need to tell you something."

"Okay, I am all ears.", as she stops digging around in the mesh bag.

"I am seeing someone."

"You are? Well, that is great Gail."

Silence for a moment until Gail finds her footing, until the voice in her head gives permission.

"You sorta know the person… I am seeing Holly."

"Dr. Stewart?"

Smiling at the sound of Holly's name, "Yep that is the one."

"Well, she is fabulous!"

Gail shakes her head in affirmation, not moving from her position.

Traci scoots over, and kicks Gail's foot in a playful way, "Hey, I am really happy for you. I think Holly is amazing, brilliant and c'mon she is totally hawt."

"Who knew, hawt, nerdy doctors are my thing. Listen, I need a favor if it's not too much trouble."

"Okay?"

"We leave for the Controni bust on Monday, and Holly is a little anxious, I thought I would write her a note each day and was wondering if you would mind getting those to her. I also was hoping you could keep her in the loop, if something happens or the bust goes long; just to make sure she knows, okay?"

Traci watches Gail's eyes as she talks about Holly, and she is truly taken aback seeing this side of Gail. They have shared some pretty intimate moments over the last few years, especially when Jerry died, but this is new. "Of course I will. I am happy to keep her in the loop, and make sure the notes are delivered each day. You guys are only scheduled to be gone for three night's right?"

"Yep, that is the plan, stan. " Gail pulls herself up off the bench. "Thank you Trac, I really appreciate this, I want to tell Steve myself so if this could be between us until I get a chance to talk to him that would be most excellent."

"Of course, I won't say a word; you should be the one to tell Steve. Gail, I am your friend, you know I am always here. You just have to ask."

"I know." with a quick smile, Gail disappears from the room.

The cop spends over 2 hours at the range, in an intense rendezvous with her new illicit firearm. She feels comfortable with the gun, she feels confident with the intel, the operation and her cover, but for the first time in her life she feels uneasy about leaving. On the drive to Holly's she selfishly wishes she could just stay put, and spend her time getting lost in what is quickly becoming her very favorite pastime.

Standing at Holly's door with a bottle of Borolo in her hand that cost more than the shoes she is currently wearing, she sees a note taped to the door with her name scribbled on it. She flips the piece of paper open reading the simple instructions to, "Come around back."

Traipsing around the side yard to find Holly at the grill, small tea candles floating in glass bowls filled with water spread out on an old wooden farm table with plates and wine glasses at the ready.

"Why does your place always smell so delicious?"

Turning to Gail with giant tongs in her hand, "Because I have this notion that the way to your heart involves good food and many, many baked goods."

Gail kisses Holly on the lips, then goes back for another before responding, "Mmm, You are a very fast study, Dr. Stewart. " One more kiss is stolen from the doctor's lips, "I brought wine."

"It's perfect, will go great alongside the homemade pizza on the grill with prosciutto, figs and leeks, I also threw together a caesar salad."

Gail eyes Holly waiting for the most important part, "Dessert?"

"How do you feel about salted caramel Gelato?" Holly asks tending to the grill. She suddenly feels hands slide around her waist. "I feel very, very good about it. I feel very good about a lot of things Holly."

Holly turns around to find Gail's smile breathtaking, she flings her arms around the blonde's neck, running her hands through her short cropped hair, gently pulling forward until their mouths meet. The kisses they share have become somewhat familiar, effortless in their connection, and in no time at all hands are roaming freely finding electric bare skin which become a puckered goose bump playground as they begin to explore uncharted territories.

Holly searches for Gail's hands bringing them up to her mouth, kissing each one, "You know I want this, I want all of this but let's slow down a bit, okay. If we keep this up the pizza is going to look like a hockey puck."

Gail kisses Holly one more time, letting her lips linger for a second longer than she intended, "I feel like I am a 17 year old boy…just so you know."

"It's pretty amazing, eh?" She smiles at Gail not sure how she could possibly have gotten this lucky.

Gail grabs the bottle of wine, "Should I open this? What can I do?"

"Yes please, if you would open and pour I will grab the pizza and we can eat, salad is already on the table."

The feast is spread out before them; Gail is starving but finds herself skeptical of figs on a pizza. She feels the same way about fruit on pizza as she does fruit on donuts, it's an offense that should be punishable by jail time. She shoves a slice in her mouth anyway, and closes her eyes.

"What is it with you and food Stewart? This is unreal."

"Oh, don't' think I didn't see you giving it the crook-eye before. I figured you were secretly hoping I had extra Gelato."

Taking a sip of her wine, "Holly this is like crazy good. Thank you very much for making dinner."

Holly clinks her glass to Gail's, "Anytime."

"So how is the Downsview case coming? You looked pretty engrossed this afternoon at the lab; I am assuming it was that case."

Swallowing her wine, "Yeah, I have been working on it non-stop. I am so close to making a connection between the victims and all three of the suspects. It's is really like putting a puzzle together on a molecular level. In a bizarre way it will give me something to keep my mind busy while you are gone, and for that I am grateful."

Gail dishes herself out more salad, and grabs another piece of pizza as Holly smiles over her wine glass. Still chewing Gail blurts out, "so I talked to Traci today."

"Oh really?"

"Yep, she was very cool, called you 'hawt' and said she would make sure to check in with you while I was gone."

Wiping her mouth, "Well now, that is not embarrassing at all."

"The woman speaks the truth, Holly."

Holly nonchalantly throws the question out there like she was asking about tomorrow's weather, "So how much can you tell me about what you will be doing under cover?"

Gail raises her eyebrows and pushes the salad around on her plate, "Well, not much actually."

"Oh."

"Holly. C'mon, you know I can't and it's not that I don't want to tell you, and it has nothing to do with trust, you know that right? It's ingrained in us, plus I would never put you at risk by having you know that kind of information. You know I trust you, I ate fruit on pizza for god's sake."

"I am sorry, Gail. I know it's your job, it's just really hard not knowing anything, especially when it's dangerous."

Gail captures Holly's index finger with her own, gently rubbing her thumb over it, "I wish I didn't have to go, I really do. Do you have any idea how much I love spending time with you?

Holly's eyes are wet but she smiles at Gail's words, "You just like the food."

Standing while keeping ahold of Holly's hand she walks herself around the table pulling the doctor to her feet, "I like lots of things."

"Do you like Gelato?" Holly teases.

"It's okay, but there are other things I would rather taste." Gail whispers into Holly's neck, with her breath hot on the mocha skin in front of her.

"Gail."

"Holly, I want to feel you. I want to be close to you."

Holly pulls Gail inside the French doors leading to the house. "I am going to get the Gelato, there is a fire going in the living room, make yourself comfortable."

Holly grabs the small container from the freezer, one spoon, and makes her way to the living room, only to find Gail has indeed made herself comfortable… on the floor, in front of the fire. Several decorative pillows are scattered about as well as two soft throws from the couch which are now spread out across the floor along with one stunningly beautiful blonde who is lying on her side watching the crackling fire in front of her. Holly just stands there staring, until Gail turns around catching her unable to move in her pool of melting gelato desire.

"Look a picnic kinda happened while you were gone!"

"I see that." Holly hands Gail the container and joins her on the floor, lying parallel to the cop and setting the spoon between them.

Neither woman moves a muscle. Gail is not sure what to do next, she wants more than anything to touch Holly but there is an undercurrent of delicious anticipation coursing all around them.

"Holly?"

"Hi."

"I am freaking out a little. I am not sure what I am supposed to do here."

"Gail, there are no rules; you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. It's just me and you. We decide."

Gail slides her hand over to Holly's and the bridge to one another is built. Holly pulls Gail to her, face to face through the flickering of illumination they see each other fully for the first time without words and without walls.

The pulsing heartbeats become kisses and those kisses lead to a tangled dance of fingers finding flesh, buttons come undone, fabric is pushed off shoulders and lips leave tiny scars of tenderness and want all along skin. They both seemed to know where the line lives; honoring it without question knowing this is part of the journey.

Holly is tracing free flowing forms on Gail's luminous skin with her fingertips stopping at the small of her back leaving one simple kiss there, "I have something for you."

"Is it melty ice cream?"

"No though I am pretty sure I can provide that as well."

Holly sits up and digs deep into the front pocket of her jeans.

Gail wraps a blanket around her naked upper body and sits up facing Holly.

"I am not sure if you can wear this while you are under the covers, but I wanted you to have it.", Holly reaches for Gail's hand holding up the silver chain dropping it into her palm.

"My dad was in the Canadian military, he fought in World War II, and was awarded the Victoria Cross when he was only one of three men from his platoon to make it back alive. Other than you he was the bravest person I have ever known, so I thought you might like to have it while you are gone. I like the idea of him watching over you." Holly's eyes seek out the safe blue waters of the woman before her, exposing her fears as the tears drip down the doctor's cheeks.

Gail kisses each of the teardrops away, tasting the sweet salty heartache that seeps from the woman who has just stolen her heart.

"Holly, this is an amazing part of yourself that you're entrusting to me. I promise to bring it back to you, thank you for sharing a part of your Dad with me."

Foreheads tilt together, lips engage in a slow lazy undemanding kiss that reaffirms what their hearts already know.

They sleep together that night, with their jeans on, shirts off, wrapped up with blankets lying in front of a dying fire, tangled up in each other, well on their way to falling in love.


	8. Chapter 8

Gail peers out at the vast patchwork tapestry of lights before her. "Hey, thank you for meeting me tonight."

"There is really nowhere else I would rather be than with you right now, looking out at this view together" Holly wraps her arms even tighter around the woman sitting perched in between her legs as they share the retaining wall overlooking the city.

"This is kind of our spot now."

"It is. You have impeccable taste Officer Peck."

Gail leans back into Holly's chest tilting her head up as the doctor bends down to capture the cop's lips between her own. "I certainly do."

They watch the lights dancing to life in the city; much like that night Gail brought Holly to this spot on the back of her bike. Now they sit in serene silence both having so much to say but the stillness of the hushed echoes is easier that talking about the fact that Gail will be leaving tomorrow for her undercover assignment, information that lingers like an unwanted third wheel.

"I don't want to let you go." Holly chokes out.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first, Dr. Stewart?"

"Good news please, always the good news first."

Gail brings Holly's hands up to her lips, kissing each one, stacking them on top of one another above her heart as she lays her own hands on top of the pile.

"In just a few days I will be back, and I plan on showing you in every way just how much I will have missed you."

Holly tightens her grip on the blonde, kisses the top of her head before letting her chin linger, "I just found you, so you better be careful dammit!"

Playfully looking up at Holly, "Actually I found you, on the side of the road like an abandoned puppy."

Shaking her head with a giant smile across her face, "You are a mess, Peck."

"I am your mess, so do you want the bad news now?"

Furrowed brows glare down at Gail, "What bad news?"

"I have to come back, who else is going to have the patience to teach you to ride a motorcycle?"

Leaning down in search of Gail's mouth, Holly kisses the blonde upside-down, with playfully adoring lips before pulling her mouth away, "You better hope I remember how to make those cookies you love so much while you are gone." She tickles Gail's sides sending the cop into a laughing fit, thrashing and flopping about like a fish out of water.

Holly is on her feet unable to control her laughter, "Really? I thought you were a tough cop, Gail!"

The blonde jumps up chasing after Holly who has already sprinted off running up the grassy patch on the other side of the wall.

Gail finally catches up to Holly pulling her sweater and grabbing onto her from behind, as they both lose their balance, tumbling into each other before hitting the ground. "Don't' make me get my handcuffs out."

"Mmm, that is really not a punishment now is it, more of a reward than anything. You should chase me around more often officer."

"Come here." Gail pulls Holly into her arms as they roll around in the grass like unapologetic teens, mouths seek out warmth and fingers gently trace their way along stretches of exposed flesh, the pull of desire fighting against pushing their limits until they are taken completely off guard by a bright stream of light blindly shining down on them, suddenly catapulted into the spotlight.

"Peck? Is that you?"

On their feet in record time, Gail looks up to see the familiar officer from a neighboring division. "Hey Wes…"

"I was checking out the area for a reported B&E down on Lakeview Drive. Is everything okay?"

Grasping at whatever flies into her mind, "Thank God you are here!" Grabbing his flashlight, "Can we use this? We can't see fuck all in the dark and Holly lost her Dad's war medal in the grass somewhere, it's on a silver chain."

"Oh man, that sucks. Hey, let me help." Wes is suddenly crotched down combing over the grass with a fine tooth comb. Gail grabs Holly who is laughing so hard tears are running down her face. "Hey don't cry we will find it." Holly gives Gail a swift side kick square in her bum, "Ouch!" covering in an instant, "Damn tree branches."

As Wes feverishly looks for the lost item with his back toward them, Gail slips the necklace from her neck and brings it over her head, holding the medal out in front of her before dropping it on the ground. She takes a step back and shines the light down, "Found it!" Gail announces.

"Oh, thank God!" Holly picks the necklace up holding it like a long lost friend so Wes can see that this is tangible proof they were looking diligently for this lost item and not rolling around on the ground making out like a couple of teenagers when he walked up on the scene.

Gail hands Wes his flashlight back, "Thank you so much for showing up, you are a total lifesaver man, no matter what Price says…"

Not sure how to respond, he forces a polite smile and, "Thank you" as he turns to go, stopping only to ask, "You two will be okay then?"

"We will be just fine."

Later that night they would both repeat those words to each other as they said goodbye.

Gail arrives at the station early Monday morning; meeting Sam for final instructions and then straight for a makeover in the Gangs and Guns office where they help Gail pick clothes that fit the part for her undercover role, which actually for this gig was not too bad. She has been in god awful uncomfortable hooker outfits, smelling like death as a dirty homeless woman and her favorite, a goth drug addict where she actually let Luke convince her to pierce her nose, only to have it ripped out by one of the drug dealer's girlfriends who thought Gail was hitting on him.

Being involved with an international drug cartel is a more chic look for Gail, and she likes it. Dark grey fitted trousers with a French cuffed blouse and a leather jacket that hugs her like a well-worn glove would be the look for this assignment, along with a pair of Gail's own boots that were comfortably broken in and would allow her to move quickly when needed. Inside the jacket hung the holster where her firearm would live. A bit of gel tasseled in her short cropped hair, dark red lipstick, and a high end breitling stainless steel watch that just might cost more than her car and her look is complete. She would have a few more outfits that were very much in the style of the one she just tried on.

The initial meeting with the Controni crew would not be until much later this evening, in the meantime Gail would proceed to check into her hotel room at one of the five star hotels downtown, with a surveillance unit set up just doors down from her which would include Oliver, and Sam. Gail would be known as Catherine Brown; she will drive a BMW to the hotel and check in under that name.

Gail fiddles with the radio in Sam's truck as they are in route to drop her off at the location of the BMW, "So do you have any concerns?"

"Yeah, why is your taste in music so sucky?"

Sam keeps his eyes on the road, knowing this is the first major undercover assignment for Gail since she was kidnapped and almost killed by a lunatic a few years ago. "It's a big bust Gail, we picked you because you can rock this and there is no one better under pressure than you. You're a good cop and even better undercover. We will have your back, I promise. "

Gail has never been super close to Sam but she is always on high alert with him, always wanting to do a good job, looking for his approval in ways that make little sense to her other than the fact that she still feels guilty for what happened to Jerry when Ross Perik kidnapped her, when detective Jerry Barber lost his life saving Gail, Traci lost the love of her life and Sam lost his very best friend.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she wonders if the words swirling around will make it out of her mouth, she focuses on the radio and before she knows it they have in fact escaped and are running wild and free, "Sam, I still think about him. There is nothing I wouldn't give to have changed it all that day."

Slowly guiding his head up and down into a nod, "I know." the pause is thick and painfully stagnant like quicksand, until the moment he finally speaks, "He would have been proud of you kid."

Gail punches the scan button on the radio randomly stopping on the first station playing music; Sam and Gail sit in their circle of quiet as the words coming from Billy Joel ping around the cab of the truck like an arcade game invading their world with Jerry's memory slumped in the seat between them.

They say there's a Heaven for those who will wait  
Some say it's better but I say it ain't  
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints  
The sinners are much more fun...

You know that only the good die young  
Only the good die young

Only the good die young…

They drive in silence, stopping at lights, turning around corners, speeding up and finally slowing down before Sam stops to let Gail out. "In so many ways he is still here Sam, so don't forget that, okay." Gail pulls the handle releasing her door before sliding out. Turning back toward the truck, "I will see you at the hotel."

Sam shoots Gail one of his dimpled grins, "Well we both know he is watching over you, someone has to keep you in line, Peck. Be safe, be smart… I will see you on the other side."

Gail knowingly smiles back, slamming the door shut as she walks the two blocks toward her new car and her new identity for the next few days.

Holly finds herself at the lab earlier than normal, she did not sleep well after Gail dropped her off last night, and she had plenty of work to do still finishing the reports on the Downsview murder case along with the numerous other cases that have come across her desk since.

Later that afternoon, Holly sips from the mug that holds steaming dark roast coffee which is a necessity for her to make it through the long work days; it's not long before her mind drifts off to thoughts of Gail. There is nothing Holly can do but wait patiently to see her again. No phone, no text, no e-mail until she returns. Suck it up Stewart, it's just a few days, she sternly tells herself as she pulls the pile of paperwork toward her. Tucked between the first file folder is an envelope with her name written in the blonde's sloppy handwriting. Holly holds the envelop up to her face, breathing in the scent that is everything Gail, she feels her heartbeat strain. Gently sliding her finger under the envelop flap pulling it free, grasping the letter tucked inside and unfolding the crisp paper to find the following words:

Hey.

I am not a writer; I am not good with words, feelings or people for that matter. You Holly are the expectation, you are the most amazing person I have ever met and you should know that you make me a better person…so thank you for putting up with me.

Three of my favorite things about you:

Not only can I stand to be around you for more than 10 minutes at a time, which let's face it, is a big freaking miracle, but most of my free time is spent counting down the minutes until we are together again.

The moment your hands slip around my waist pulling me back into you each time we are on the bike together. Shhh… but it kinda drives me bonkers in the very best way.

Those two things on your face between your nose and your chin that I just can't seem to stay away from….

Please note not one of those things had anything to do with food.

G

Holly reads the note over and over staring at the words, while images in her mind play a reel to reel account of the past several weeks spent together. This is not like Holly, falling so fast, so effortlessly wanting to give of herself to someone completely, especially someone who has never been with a woman before. All of those fears seem to dissolve into nothingness when she thinks about the way Gail makes her feel when they are together and even more so how the doctor feels when they are apart. Holly reads the letter one last time, wondering exactly what Gail is doing at this very moment before forcing herself to continue on with her day.

The hotel bar is far from crowded but not empty either. Gail is sitting at the far end drinking bourbon straight, no chaser. As she takes a long drag from her cigarette letting the smoke fill her lungs delivering a dirty burn down the depths of her throat. She picks up the glass tipping it up as she watches amber liquid coat the side of her tumbler. There is a change of energy in the room, and Gail knows it in an instant, her hearts pace quickens and she consciously thinks about keeping her breath even and slow. The chair beside her is pulled back and a man slides in next to her ordering an expensive French cognac. When his drink arrives he pushes it aside, looking over at Gail he runs his eyes all over her to the point she feels violated simply by existing in the moment with him. Taking a slow drink from his glass he addresses her, "I certainly can see what all the fuss is about, Ms. Brown and I am totally intrigued by every inch of you..."


	9. Chapter 9

"Let's cut through the bullshit shall we? I am not really here to entertain you, nor am I available in any other capacity than to provide you with impeccable and untraceable movement of your product from point A to point B. If that somehow is not enough for you than I will finish my drink and walk out the door, if however you can think with the head on your shoulders and want to do business you have exactly thirty seconds to let me know."

Gail picks up her glass as if she had just casually given a weather update before calmly taking a sip of her drink, "Now you have 10 seconds."

The man moves his cocktail from the coaster directly onto the ornately decorated mahogany wood of the bar, before glancing at his watch. "That is a record Ms. Brown; it took you exactly 2 minutes and 43 seconds to impress me. That is not a pick up line, but a compliment, and you should know I do not give those out with any regularity. "

Gail opens her handbag, and places a twenty dollar bill on the bar as she rises from the stool, "It was nice meeting you."

"Wait. Where are you going?"

Looking the man square in the face, "Your thirty seconds are up and I have heard nothing from you but lip service saying words that have no meaning to me."

"Alright, let's start over, Catherine. May I call you Catherine?"

Gail sits back down and pulls her money back from the bar, motioning to the bartender for another, "You may."

Extending his hand to Gail, "I am Joe, Catherine. You came highly recommended, and we know your work includes international transport in moving large quantities of product." The man takes a sip from his glass, "this is of great interest to my boss."

Gail takes a sip from her newly delivered cocktail, "What do you propose we do about this great interest?"

"I am going to write down an address on this cocktail napkin Catherine, and I would expect if you are interested in being part of our team you will show up there tomorrow at 9:00pm, alone. Because I like you Ms. Brown I will advise you that you are being watched, know this."

The man pushes the napkin toward Gail placing a crisp fifty dollar bill on the bar, he then turns to leave.

Gail does not move a muscle, she reminds herself to breathe as she gets her footing back, she finishes her drink before folding the napkin in half and carefully placing it in her bag. The cop pays her tab and heads back to her hotel room.

Once inside her room Gail goes to the bathroom and takes the burner phone from where she placed it earlier. She calls Sam at the number he made her memorize.

It does not even ring on her end, "Good work, Peck! Seriously you were brilliant. We need you to make the deal tomorrow night, we will not have the luxury of hotel surveillance so you will hit the alarm button on your car key fob, it has been set to trigger an alert on my computer, at that point we will know you have agreed on a deal. There is something else you need to know, we have new intel that there is a dirty cop involved, we think from 27 but they are still working on getting more details. Just be careful Gail."

"I will."

"Here is the part where I tell you to try and relax and get some sleep. Don't run up room service or order a ton of porn in the room. Got it, Peck?"

"Gee, you're breaking up Sam, can't hear a thing."

"Have a good night and get some rest, Gail."

"See ya..."

Gail strips down, turns the shower on until the steam is a welcome fog in her world. She steps into the searing water letting it beat down on the tension coursing through her body, doing her best to let the day go and welcoming the thoughts of Holly that drift into her mind. She wonders how the doctor's day went, if she liked the letter left for her by Gail with the help of Rodney who placed it in her office. The cop wore the promise she kept to Holly around her neck, bringing the medal to her lips she smiles as she thinks about how special she feels wearing it, how special she feels being with Holly and perhaps most of all acknowledging to herself how different this is than anything else she has ever experienced.

Traci found herself at the morgue per Gail's instruction to let Holly know all was well, that Gail was safe in her hotel room with a detail guarding her throughout the night, from the room next door. The detective felt confident telling Holly that there was nothing to worry about at this point. She knows all too well how hard the waiting can be.

Holly was trying to match some DNA to a murder victim when she hears the door open, peering around the corner to see Traci stepping inside.

"Hey Traci, is everything okay?"

"All is fine. I wanted to make sure you knew that Gail is safe for tonight. That is all I can tell you, but I thought that was really the most important information you would want to know."

Holly pulls out a stool and rolls it toward Tracy, "Can you sit a moment?"

"Sure, I am done for the night. I don't have to pick my son Leo up for another hour."

Holly takes her glasses off and rubs her brow, "I don't even think I realized how tense I was until my body just relaxed a bit. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by, it means a lot."

"Well it is my pleasure but you should know Gail was insistent that I keep you informed as much as possible. It's hard, the not knowing factor, and sorry to break the news it never gets easier. I hate when Steve goes undercover and we are not on the same case."

"Steve, as in Steve Peck?"

Traci shakes her head in agreement, "Yep, that's the one."

Holly smiles, "Wait, you are dating Gail's brother?"

"Uh hun, but don't you dare hold that against me. Those Peck's are charmers and stubborn, good god are they stubborn, you know this, right? "

They both laugh because they know it's true.

"Oh yeah, they wear it like a badge of honor!" Holly agrees.

"I have to be honest Holly, Gail is different since you have been around, she is happy, and dare I even speak of it out loud… she is smiling. I don't know that we have ever really seen that side of her before, but it is really lovely and though I would never utter a word of that to her, thank you for bringing a little sunshine to 15 in the form of a smitten Peck!"

Holly finds herself blushing a bit at the thought of the cop smitten with her, "Well I have to tell you Gail kind of swooped in and knocked me right off my feet, well after she pried them free from the wreckage! I feel very lucky to have found her."

"Hang in there; she will be back before you know it. Speaking of being back I should probably head out." Traci heads toward the door as Holly rises opening the door for her, "Thank you so much for the update, I will see you soon?", Holly asks giving the detective a hopeful look.

"Yes, I will talk to you soon, Holly. Have a good night."

"You too, Traci."

Holly watches the door close and suddenly she has the strong desire to go home and bake. Thinking to herself that the first day of Gail being gone is almost over.

At precisely 8:30pm the next night Gail left room number 632 turning left as she walked down the hallway opposite the room where Sam, Oliver and the others were set up. She was dressed in black tailored trousers, a charcoal grey top and her own fitted black leather jacket which somehow screamed a very eloquent yet powerful, "fuck you" to the world as she strutted past leaving the luscious smell of her Dior perfume wafting lazily behind. Gail looked like she could have walked off the pages of Vogue, her hair was striking, highlighting her steel blue eyes and ridged jaw line. Gail played the role of powerful well; she certainly had the perfect role model in her mother when it came to using power to manipulate everything and everyone in her life. In many ways that is what she draws from in moments like this when she is pushed relentlessly devour or be devoured by those who could care less about her family name.

The drive to the location scribbled on the tattered napkin was in an industrial part of town, as the BMW pulled up to the building Gail killed her lights pulling alongside the only visible doorway. As soon as she opened the car she saw the post it note stuck to the middle of the door, pulling it off as dingy brown paint peeled away right along with it, "Go around the corner to your left, Joe will meet you."

Gravel crunched under the thick heels of Gail's boots as she walked the fifteen feet to her destination. After turning the corner she did in fact see Joe waiting for her, standing outside of a shiny black Cadillac SUV, "Catherine, it is nice to see you again.", extending his hand to welcome her to take a seat inside the vehicle.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. She did not want to be taken off location, the last time that happened she ended up strapped to a table with an IV drip pulsing through her veins. Keep it together Peck, you have the power.

"This better be worth my time.", Gail growls sliding into the vehicle.

Inside the car Joe pours her a shot of twenty year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, from a bottle that had never been opened. Joe handed her the glass, both knowing full well it was a test of wills, of trust and it would lay the foundation for their dealings.

Gail takes a sip of the bourbon, truly enjoying every second it clings to her palate. It is superb, " I am impressed twenty year is hard to find, even for the most discriminating client."

"We like to reward good work, Catherine. There is nothing we cannot provide to get the job done for the right person, and we think you are that person for us."

"Is that so?" tracing her finger along the rim of the glass.

Joe turns slightly in his seat facing Gail, "You can understand our position of not letting you know the final destination for our meeting tonight, but I will tell you that few are privileged enough to be invited where you are going."

They pull off of the main road, and Gail swallows hard as she feels herself getting distanced from the people who can keep her somewhat safe should things take a spiral descent downward. As they wind down a curvy path to a remote area of big rolling estates Gail has no idea what awaits her.

Holly is eating a late dinner with Rodney as they talk about the latest innovative technology that was just announced in the current issue of Science Daily regarding how dead body feeding larvae can now be used in forensic investigations to determine the time of death.

"It's fascinating!" Rodney exclaims taking a bite of his tuna sandwich.

Jan from upstairs opens the lab door holding a massive bouquet of red roses. "Dr. Stewart these came earlier but you were in a meeting, I am so sorry but I just now got time to run them down here."

"Oh, Jan they are beautiful. It's no problem, thank you for bringing them down to me." Holly is beaming as she takes the vase from her co-worker.

"There is a card there too." giving Holly a quick wink as she leaves.

"Rodney, I am going to just put these in my office, I will be right back."

Once inside the safety of her office Holly pulls the card from the small red envelope.

"These are not nearly as beautiful as you will look on Saturday night. I can't wait to see you and feel you in my arms again.-G"

"Holy shit." Holly plopped down in the chair directly behind her, Traci wasn't kidding when she said those Peck's were charming the doctor thought as she let the sweet smell of the flowers tickle her nose.

Rodney stuck his head in Holly's office, "Who are those from?"

Rolling her eyes with a smile planted firmly on her face, "Nobody."

"Ha! If by "Nobody "you mean cranky cop, the terrifying, walking, talking, behemoth…well that is actually quite sweet of her, and they are beautiful!"

"They are and she is very sweet!" Replies the doctor as she walks around the lab floating around the rest of the night somewhere very close to cloud nine.

Gail is escorted through a set of quite possibly the largest front doors she has ever seen in her life. They reminded her of something out of the Harry Potter movie that Dov and Chloe had once drug her along to see with promises of popcorn and beer. Gail was then led into a formal sitting area in the rear of the house, passing through a den and off to the left she could see a massive state of the art kitchen.

"Catherine please make yourself comfortable. May I get you another bourbon?

"Please." Gail picked a vintage leather chair, crossed her legs and waited for her drink to be delivered.

Walking toward her with two drinks in his hands, "Mr. Controni will be arriving shortly, he will ask the questions. I would advise you to play nice, and to speak only when you are addressed. If you pass this test he is going to make you a very, very wealthy woman. Do you have any questions?"

"I do not." Accepting the drink Joe relinquishes to her.

They sat in silence for several minutes until footsteps could be heard approaching on the wood floor leading into the room where Gail would soon learn how this night would end.

The man seemed much smaller than the pictures tacked up above Sam's desk during all the briefings than her was in real life. Dressed in a Saint Laurent smoking jacket, wire rimmed glasses sat forward on the bridge of his nose and then she heard it, the unmistakable sound that instantly sent bile creeping upward inside her. He was wearing wing tipped shoes, just like Perik.

"Good evening, Ms. Brown. I can't thank you enough for making the trip to come meet with me here."

Gail rises with her hand extended, "It is my absolute pleasure. Your home is exquisite."

"I am assuming Joe has treated you well during your time together?"

"Yes sir, very well. Thank you."

"Forgive my frankness, Ms. Brown."

Gail rolls the dice on interrupting him, "Please call me Catherine." She offers using the power of her ocean blue eyes to soften the request.

She receives a small smile from him, "Catherine, let me get to the heart of the matter. You are one of the best, if not the best organizational heroin movers in the world. The southeast Asia exchange last December was beyond brilliant and I would like you to come on board to spearhead a deal I have in the works."

Gail shifts in her chair crossing her legs in the opposite direction, "Go on."

"2 metric tons of cocaine in one move, brought in from Colombia. The payoff is about 30 million dollars. Do I have your attention Catherine?"

"Undivided."

"We have worked hard to secure a couple of key components. The first being the means to make the move on the Colombian end and secondly we have acquired ourselves a desperate officer of the law on this end who will be able to make our lives much easier and provide the intel on everything we need to keep the local drug enforcement and the ETF off of our backs."

Wing tip shoes tap closer to Gail as Sal Controni sits on the end of the couch opposite her chair, "We are very interested in your thoughts on exactly how that move might play out if you were in charge of it. I would think Columbia is a bit easier than Southeast Asia."

"You would be correct. When you would like this information?"

"I would like to make you an unusual offer, Catherine. Please do hear me out." He reaches over taking Gail's hand. We would very much like it if you would accept the offer to stay here and work out of the gatehouse located on the property, but with complete privacy and very well appointed if I do say so myself."

Gail's head is spinning, she knows this is a huge test, if she puts up resistance this deal is good as dead. She was not expecting to meet Sal this soon. Fuck. She has no choice.

"I have one request, if I may."

"Anything."

"Might Pappy join me in my planning, I hate to be alone when I am conjuring up brilliance." Gail bites her bottom lip, raising her eyebrow and the ante to his proposition.

"My dear that can be arranged…"

Oliver and Sam are in the van, about a block from Gail's BMW beyond frustrated, that they cannot get near her location with Sal. "We have to let it ride Oliver, trust in Gail and know if something happened they would have moved her car, right now we have to assume all is well. She is negotiating, she will hit the alarm when the deal is done."

Holly finds the red light lit on her work phone when she returns in the morning. It is a message from Traci, just letting her know that everything was on track and there was nothing to worry about. Holly finds herself a little more relaxed, it seemed tension had a firm grasp on where Gail was at all times with these sort of things. She looked at the roses on her desk from Gail and for her own sanity said the confirmation out loud to herself one more time. "Everything will be just fine."

Even though her accommodations were right out of the feature article in a travel magazine, she did not relax, could not enjoy the luxurious nature of the room and certainly she dare not sleep; she did however strategize and plan. Coming up with the best scenarios involving the best proposals to execute the enormous undertaking she was expected to flawlessly arrange. She has a good plan, a well thought out plan that would not only work, but would depend on help from the cop and exposing them would be vital in bringing this all to a close. Gail kept her eye on the prize in the back of her mind, she simply could not focus on Holly, she needed to stay sharp at all times and in each moment, but every once in a while she would allow herself the joy of catching a split second flash of Holly's brilliant smile in her mind's eye and that was enough to keep her going.

Gail showered and dressed quickly, going over her notes once again before the telephone rang at precisely 7:30am.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Catherine. I was hoping you would be able to join us for breakfast in a half hour. I will send Joe to escort you to the main house. It's a big property and it is easy to get turned around."

"I appreciate that, sir."

The phone went dead, and Gail let out a sigh that would have filled the sky, but instead the tension just swirled around the room.

Exactly thirty minutes later Joe would present himself at the front door of the gatehouse.

"Good morning, Catherine."

"Good morning, Joe."

"Understand this may be a bit odd, but you know this is part of the test, part of your willingness to take direction and step up in the face of uncertainly. You are doing well, and that is all I can share right now."

They walk in silence until reaching the main dining area where Gail is seated at the end of the table opposite Sal, at this position he was at the advantage to read her every reaction like a book as he spoke of the plan, the family and the organization while Gail was served coffee and juice of her choice.

If there was any hope of Gail's success in this deception, any belief at all, that this brief interlude would be the culmination of perfection when it came to knocking this empire to its knees it was effortlessly flicked away like a stray ash from a rancid cigar upon seeing the shadow lurking in the hallway present themselves. There was no warning and the look on Gail's face was so unsuspecting and shocked that when Chris walked out casually taking his seat at the table next to Sal it all came to a festering head, exploding in the enormous betrayal that dripped down Gail's face.

Sal threw his water glass across the room so hard it splintered into what sounded like a thousand pieces, his voice echoed through Gail as if she were perched inside the Liberty Bell itself.

"Son of a fucking bitch, she knows him, she is a cop."

Gail felt the weight of her eyes sinking down in slow motion, her head following as Catherine Brown's world crumbled around her in seconds.


	10. Chapter 10

Gail found herself fixated on Chris, who was sitting across the room from her, knees pulled up, tucked close to his chest, head down. He looked like hell, beaten down, sorrow soaked, his voice choked like silent screaming in this nightmare he found himself in.

The whole operation fell apart in a matter of minutes, they were both taken together, led along a dark hallway and down narrow stairs to a different part of the house, Gail thinks on the southwest corner but she could not be sure. It seemed like they had been there forever just waiting, she began to lose track of time. There was no confrontation, no ruckus of words, threats or blows, nothing other than the glass that sailed across the room courtesy of Sal. After that it was all understood, Catherine was useless to him now, as was Chris. They had to find a way out.

"Chris."

The cop remained as he was; the stillness spoke volumes as he would not or could not manage to respond.

"Chris, look at me."

Several moments passed until his head would make the slightest tilt toward her, hollow brown bloodshot eyes, from the drugs, the tears or both cut right through Gail.

"I am sorry."

His eyes shifted back, away from her, away from her pity and benevolence that he knew he did not deserve.

It was an eerie quiet, one that Gail did not particularly enjoy, though she sat with him in it for as long as she could before speaking.

"Remember when that perp puked in my squad car and we thought I was infected with some contagious face eating virus?"

Silence remained so she continues, "in the end you didn't care if you caught the virus from me, you barged right in that room they had me quarantined in because you knew I needed you."

Chris finally speaks barely audible in his, "You were so scared, even though you were trying to be tough…and bossy."

"I was… terrified."

Chris runs both hands over his face, rubbing his pounding temples, finally resting on his unshaven face, "I have fucked up in such a royal way, Gail."

"As always, an overachiever, Diaz."

The slightest of smiles makes an attempt to spread across his face, "How can you not hate me right now, we might die."

Pulling at a loose frayed thread on her jacket, "Because you need me, but let's get this straight, I am pretty fucking mad at you right now."

Chris exhales a long breath that he has been holding for what seems like years, "I am an addict, Gail. I can't stop."

The tears begin falling down his weary face and Gail can feel the stinging sensation of the shame seeping from him as he finally admits what he has probably been denying to himself for months now.

She does the unfamiliar, perhaps something the old Gail would never dream of doing. If Holly has shown the cop anything in their short time together it is that moments of true kindness are in fact worth it.

The blonde pulls Chris into a hug and lets him fall apart, his tears soak the fabric of her shirt, and she is hopeful in the moment they share, at this place that holds very little hope for them, he will arrive at his rock bottom.

"Gail if something happens to you I will never forgive myself."

Smacking him lightly on the head, "If something happens to me dork, you will have bigger problems, Holly will kick your ass!"

"Who?"

"While you have been frolicking in your drug induced escapades, I am dating a chick now; she is amazing, kind, super-duper smart and smoking hot."

"Oh. Well, okay." He is taken aback by the glow on Gail's face at the mention of this woman's name, "I am sure she is great. Hey, I don't need anyone else mad at me Gail so let's try to get the hell out of here in one piece."

Gail begins to pace around the room, "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"I actually think we are in the room next to wine cellar. "

Gail can't hold back her laughter, "Well clearly they know us pretty well; I could use a drink right about now." surveying the room more closely.

"Listen I think that our biggest chance of getting out of here is to make them suspect that we are not on the same side. You still want work for Sal and will throw me under the bus and do anything it takes to prove your loyalty does not lie with me. If we are together we are pretty much powerless."

"Gail that is an awful idea, I will always have your back."

"Chris, save it for the Hallmark channel. Hey do you remember the sign language I taught you?"

"Um, yeah."

"Let's go through the alphabet together, just to make sure."

The two have an impromptu competition to see who can get through the letters the quickest, and Gail is impressed that Chris remembered them flawlessly.

"If we need to communicate then sign it, below the waist if you can. Otherwise we have nothing nice to say to each other."

Luke, Sam, Oliver and Traci have gathered back at the station already making the connection between Sal and Chris after surveillance footage surfaced of Joe meeting up with Chris in the same hotel bar Gail was at days earlier. That partnered with the fact Chris had not reported for parade in three days left little doubt that Chris was with Sal, Joe and Gail. Painstakingly they waited for the warrant to search Sal's property; it could not come soon enough, Sam is irate at himself for not putting the warrant request in sooner. Friday afternoons were hit or miss and the team is hoping there is a judge around that has not left early to start the weekend.

Traci excuses herself to make the call she is dreading. Already past the projected timeline, Traci is not looking forward to being the one who will deliver the news that Gail is not coming back yet.

"Hey Holly, it's Traci."

"Hi Traci, is she coming back today?"

"We are not sure, but I want you to know that we are doing everything we can to get this op over and everyone back safe and sound. Things just are going a bit slower than we expected. I promise I will let you know it anything changes, k?"

Holly's heart sunk straight to the bottom of the wading pool of hopeful she was desperately trying to stay afloat in despite all the worry and awful speculation swirling around like unraftable rapids in her mind.

"Okay. Thank you Traci, please call me if you hear anything at all."

"I promise I will."

The door flung open with such force there was no time to react before Gail and Chris saw Joe stumbling toward them covered in blood waiving his gun around and pleading for help.

"You have to help me, we have to go now. NOW!" he is pushing Gail and Chris toward the door.

Gail boldly stops, turning to face Joe, "Wait! What the fuck happened?"

Wiping away blood that had splattered across his cheek, "They are dead."

Gail's wide eyes are in disbelief, "Who exactly is 'they'?"

He begins shaking, "Jimmy, Marco, Eddie …" he takes a deep breath, two steps to his left and pukes in the corner, "…and Sal. I killed Sal."

"What is it with me and all the puke on this job? I might as well teach kindergarten." Gail backs away from the vile puddle spreading on the floor.

"I just snapped, I don't know what happened. Oh, god. Oh my fucking god! I can't leave you two here, I mean I could but they will kill you."

Chris leans his forehead against the wall, "Who?"

"Diaz, you know who, Sal's brother, nephew and the rest of his personal mafia. They will kill us and then have a picnic next to the bodies. We have to get out of here."

"Where the hell are we supposed to go, Joe?" Gail blurts out.

"Just start walking, out the back into the green wooded space; I don't know what else to do!"

Sam led the way with warrant in hand as all units sped past the tree lined paths on their way to Bridal Path an affluent part of Toronto where the houses are colossal surrounded by vast acres of green space backing up to woods. A brigade of cars file into the driveway, and soon there is systematic chaos all around as officer's patiently wait to be given the all clear to enter the residence which seems like it is taking an eternity.

Sam's voice finally comes over the radio, "We have four confirmed dead." Traci places a hand on the hood of the squad car in front of her bracing for the words that will soon follow. "No sign of Peck or Diaz, I repeat Officers Peck and Diaz are not inside."

Traci takes the news as a win, though the idea of them gone does not bode well either and she knows it. Sam, Luke and Oliver eventually gather around an unmarked cruiser discussing their next move, trying to piece together a timeline and figure out some sort of rational theory that makes sense of what has happened.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Traci catches a familiar image walking toward the house; her eyes finally focus enough to confirm her fear. Holly was on scene to deal with the dead bodies. Traci tried to convince herself that maybe no one would say anything inside, by some miracle she would be so engrossed with the bodies that she would do her work go back to the lab and Traci could call her later and give her a more sugar coated version of things. As the internal discussion raged on in her head, Traci is yanked back into reality by a raging litany of words.

"You lost her? Are you fucking kidding me?" Holly is stomping toward the whole group with unapologetic fury under her feet.

Sam watches the forensic pathologist coming straight toward him and she does not look happy. Assuming someone compromised her crime scene he braces for what is about to come his way and is ready to apologize if need be.

"How in the hell do you lose someone when you are supposed to know exactly where they are?"

"Doctor Stewart, they are dead. They didn't go anywhere."

Dropping her bag on the ground, continuing toward Sam, "I am not talking about the bodies!" Holly is now waving her hands in a feverish display, "I am talking about Gail, tell me she is not dead."

The detective just stands there with his eyebrows raised, completely and utterly speechless as to what to say next. Traci steps between them, "Hey Holly, c'mon let's go over here and talk for moment, k?"

She follows closely behind the female detective, "I am so mad Traci, and worse I am terrified for Gail. What the hell happened? And do not tell me that you can't give me details."

"Everything was supposed to go down at the hotel, we didn't anticipate this, that they would bring her here, and we regrouped but obviously things went a little off the track."

"…a little off track?"

"Holly, this is part of the work, it happens. It's very dangerous and what I can tell you is that we will do everything to make sure Gail is safe. I promise to continue keeping you in the loop; I will call you even if there is no work in a few hours. Gail is a very good cop, and she excels in these situations, if there is a way to get out, she will find it."

Rubbing her temples, "That does nothing to ease my fears; I just gave the okay to bag up three very tough looking men who had their brains blown out. I am going to the morgue, please; please call me when you hear anything."

"I will call even if I don't hear anything, just to check in."

The doctor raises her hand in a small wave as she walked away from Traci on her way back inside the house to deal with three dead men who she can only assume were the last ones to see Gail before she left.

Gail was exhausted; they spent most of the night hiding out in the thick brush of the woods that backed up along the exclusive stretch of estates. Joe was a mess; he knew what he had done and the reality of his situation.

"If I can get you guys back unharmed, do you think I could make a deal with the D.A?"

Gail stretches her aching body, bending over to touch her toes and walking herself backward into downward dog, "I think the fact that you have helped two police officers escape from Sal's house, will speak volumes that your intent was not to just go on a rampage to blow people away. You have not threatened us, and to be honest without you we would have probably tried to just run out the front door not thinking that Sal's people were everywhere.

"It's pretty unreal; his entourage permeates this whole area, he probably owns more than half the houses in this gated community, family, friends, his staff everyone lives close to him. He is generous in so many ways, but there is a price."

Chris looks up from vigorously biting at his nails, "…was. He was generous."

Gail notices Chris fidgeting, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I am fine.", as he spits a piece of bitten off nail to the ground.

Joe gives him the once over, noticing the sweat seeping through his blue cotton shirt, "When was the last time you used?"

"Before I came down to breakfast and saw Gail." wiping the beads of sweat that have formed on his upper lip.

Walking over to the clearing just outside the tree line they are tucked away in, Joe points to an embankment then a very big hill, "other side of that monster is a strip mall; the sun is just now getting ready to peek its head up so now might be as good of time as any to make a run for it."

Gail stomps off in the direction of Joe's outstretched arm, "By god there better be a Starbucks on the other side of that mountain."

Holly sat at her desk, spinning the phone that lie in front of her with one finger, round and round on the beveled glass that covers her workspace. Traci called her late last night, no sign of Gail but they were hopeful something would come to fruition today. On a small silver hook opposite her desk, the new deep red dress she had purchased for the awards dinner tonight hung on the back of her office door. She was being honored as part of a selected group of distinguished doctors that had made a difference in their fields. While Holly has just started her new position, past years of presenting her research, and writing articles for various esteemed outlets had won her the accolades. She really hated this kind of thing, the attention, the crowds and the political games that came along with people pushing their way forward by viciously trouncing over each other to get to that coveted next level. The only thing that made this event different than the others was Gail, the thought of exchanging knowing glances, wanting stares and making each other laugh despite the absurdity of high class entitlement and power that was sure to stink up the room would have been kind of lovely. Holly said it out loud the words tasting metallic and septic rolling from her tongue, "You will get through tonight just fine without Gail being there. She is fine. She is fine. She is fine."

It took just over 4 hours for them to hike over the mountainous hill that looked much closer from where they stood in the woods that morning. Only one close call and Gail managed to get everyone out of view before they were spotted. Joe was correct on the other side they found a small strip mall with a dry cleaners, Indian restaurant and check cashing place sandwiched between two very questionable looking pawn shops on either end. Salvation arrived in the form of asking to use a phone as the delicious scent of saag paneer and warm garlic nan roamed freely all around the room.

Gail now found herself sitting on a hard, uneven aluminum chair in a debriefing room with Sam, Traci and a couple of guys from the drug enforcement division for Ontario. She went over everything for hours with them, what she saw and heard, who played what role each step along the way. She talked until she was hoarse, even after drinking 5 or 6 bottled waters, as she drained each one they just kept reappearing. Chris would likely be formally charged at the hospital but taken to a rehab facility if he accepted the terms, Gail prayed he would. Telling herself she will do whatever she could to support him, hell they all would but he had made some very bad choices and those choices would have consequences. Joe was in protective custody; Gail was honest about Joe and credited him with more than likely saving their lives. Just like Chris, he got involved in something that spiraled out of control until the only way out would shake his life to the core.

Gail was free to go, Sam was adamant about a security detail for her safety, which she finally agreed to but warned him that they better not so much as sneeze too loud around her, she did not want to know they existed.

The hot water pounded down on the cop absolving her weary body from the last five days of hell, letting all the craziness gently pool around her feet before swirling down the drain, grateful to feel a bit more settled in freshly scrubbed skin. Gail takes a deep breath finally letting the thought of Holly surge through her, heart racing as she thinks of her touch, her voice, and her intoxicating scent even if only for a moment in her mind.

The jazz band was in full swing, people happily danced as festive colored lights frolicked along the walls and ceiling. Holly was speaking to colleagues, mid-sentence as the words trailed off fading away into nothingness as she took one step forward, then another until she was practically running across the make shift dance floor to reach her destination on the other side of the room. There stood Gail Peck in her formal police uniform, stunningly beautiful and alive, she was very much alive as Holly bounded toward her practically knocking the blonde over as arms wrapped themselves tightly around this place that felt like home. Holly kissed each side of the cop's cheeks, each of her eyes gently then the tip of her nose before finally coming to rest on the mouth she has thought of so many times over the past week. Gail smiled through the passionate kisses as tongues and lips reaffirm what their time apart could not diminish.


	11. Chapter 11

"Stop staring."

"I can't."

"Kiss me."

"Oh, trust me, I will."

They stood in Holly's front hallway basking in each other, savoring the precious silence, secretly rejoicing that they are finally alone.

"Honey, you have to be beyond exhausted." cupping the cop's cheek and kissing her brow.

Gail replies by planting a kiss on Holly's collarbone, soft lips barley grazing skin, "I am but my lips did not seem to get that memo Dr. Stewart."

"Stay the night with me?"

Gail runs her open mouth up Holly's neck, using the tip of her tongue to taste warm, inviting flesh, her bottom lip dragging behind trailing up just below the doctor's chin, then straight to her mouth where she draws in Holly's top lip, biting, sucking and playfully tugging until the doctor's mouth surrenders and Gail takes full possession boldly backing Holly up against the counter. Hands effortlessly slip under her shirt, thumbs walk themselves straight up heading for the most sensitive parts of her chest, where Holly's heart feels like it just might pound right out of her chest.

Her hands go directly for Gail's shoulders pushing them both back a step, "Whoaa, hold on babe."

Gail traces a single finger up her bare arm, whispering in a low groan, "I want you."

Ignoring the prickly goose bumps that have Holly's whole body on fire, "I want you too, but not like this."

Gail freezes, blinking in disbelief before breaking away and turning to grab her keys, "Okay, well I will see you later then, you let me know when it's the right time for you."

Holly gently grabs her wrist as she walks past her toward the door, and plucks the keys out of her hand, "Oh no you don't, we are not playing this game." Holly slowly turns the cop's head back to center with two fingers under her chin, taking a moment to focus on the cloudy blue skies that have rolled in setting up the storm before her. "Gail I want you here…with me. I want you in my bed, I want to hold you and be so close to you that I forget where you end and I begin. Truth be told, I really need to be with you tonight, but I don't want to make love with you for the first time when you're exhausted, emotionally drained and raw from five intense days of being undercover. I actually had something else in mind." Holly finishes that sentence with suggestive eyebrow raise.

Gail casually shrugs, "Well why you didn't say so in the first place." shooting Holly an apologetic grin.

"Sometimes you are impossible Gail Peck."

Looping her fingers through Holly's belt loops at the waist of her jeans, "I know, and I am really sorry I acted like a jackass just now, it was totally rude and uncalled for. It's just overwhelming how much I want to be with you..."

Holly brings her hand up to smooth the close cropped hair at the nape of Gail's neck, "I really do know, because I feel the same way…. but how about a hot shower for you and then we get into bed?"

Gail bites her bottom lip, "can you say that again…slower…just the bed part.?"

Whispering softly in Gail's ear, Holly repeats the words letting them linger on her tongue before they drift in the cop's direction.

"Mmm, let's go." Gail races up the stairs dragging Holly behind her.

The blonde is stretched out on her stomach in one of the most comfortable beds she has ever experienced, a lush heaven adorned with clouds of pillows and a sheet thread count so high it should be illegal. Gail is grateful for the soft tattered t-shirt from Holly's University days, and well-worn scrub bottoms that now adorn her body. The bed dips as Holly slides in next to Gail, "Are you comfortable?"

Gail scoots over letting her lightly damp head rest face down in Holly's lap, mumbling, "I could live here." Looking up sideways at Holly, the blonde slightly raises her head. "Is that a book? You have me in your bed and you brought a book along?" Gail grabs a pillow and dramatically pulls it over her head as she lets out a theatrical groan.

Holly settles in holding the book open with one hand and with the other she pries the pillow from atop Gail's head tossing it aside, then snakes her hand under the flimsy fabric of her t-shirt until the doctor makes contact with the soft, warm, velvety skin of Gail's back. Tracing free flowing designs with her fingertips she feels Gail melt and relax under her touch as the cop lets out the slightest of sighs.

Holly smiles to herself as she begins to read:

"Chapter one. You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly—Tom's Aunt Polly, she is—and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before."

Gail rolls to her side, looking up at Holly with a look of disbelief laced with amazement, "You remembered?"

"Of course I did. When I thought about what I could do for you that would be the most comforting right now, I remembered you talking about spending time at your grandparent's house with such sweet fondness of how your grandmother used to read to you and Steve, how she read this story to you both. You should probably know I have a pot roast in the fridge to cook tomorrow if you promise not to steal it, and build a raft setting sail on Lake Ontario."

Gail sits up, her eyelashes fail at any attempt of holding back the tears, they bounce down her cheeks dripping onto the front of Holly's t-shirt she is wearing. "I am such an enormously selfish jackass, Holly."

Holly's thumb brushes free falling tears away, "You have been through so much in the last few days, it's okay. You're allowed feel what you are feeling."

Gail traces her finger along Holly's hand, eventually weaving their fingers together, "I never once asked how you were feeling, or if you were okay…because I am selfish."

"Gail we have been home for about an hour and before that we were surrounded by people…lots of people, and I think we did a pretty spectacular job of letting each other and everyone else watching know just how we felt about seeing each other tonight when you walked into that room."

"No kidding, that guy in the pinstriped suit with the pale pink tie, I thought his head was going to pop right off his shoulders."

Kissing each knuckle on her hand, "Chief of neurosurgery at Toronto Western."

"Hmm, well good to know if his head did pop off he could probably fix it himself." Gail snuggles in closer to Holly, "I want us to talk tomorrow, okay? About how you were feeling when I was away, because it's important Holly. You are important…to me." Gail struggles to keep her eyes open.

Holly smiled to herself, raising the book up to continue reading….

"Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich."…..

It did not take long until Gail is sweetly snoring, sound asleep. Holly gently slides herself from the bed, tucking the blonde in before taking her place on the opposite side of the bed with more room, and her nightstand. Holly removes her glasses, lying on her back she watches the ceiling fan lazily spin round and round above her, she wonders how long it will be until she has no choice but to tell Gail she has fallen in love with her.

Blue eyes open one at a time, the smell of coffee lusciously pungent in the air around her, Gail is alone in bed. She is alone in Holly's bed, wearing Holly's clothes and she feels like her heart could explode and they didn't even sleep together yet. The cop wonders how it is possible to feel this way when she and Holly haven't really known each other all that long, it's not how she is built she reminds herself but just as soon as she hears the words in her head it feels very wrong when talking about Holly. Holly is so different than the others, so different than anyone else she has ever known. Then it appears, a gift really, a revelation, a manifestation exposed to her. What if the way she is with Holly is the person she is meant to be, the one that lives under the inaccurate molded play-doh creation etched into her outer being, courtesy of her overbearing mother and preoccupied father. Sure she is sometimes abrasive and sarcastic, but those are not the things that have caused her past relationships to decay and fall apart each and every time. It comes out of her mouth, simply because she needed to hear the words; Holy Shit, this is what Oprah talks about with that "Ah ha moment"crap...only it's not crap...This is how it feels to truly love someone.


	12. Chapter 12

Holly taps lightly on the bedroom door, before slowly opening it, peering in to see if Gail is awake yet.

"I thought you might be hungry, after the week you have had to endure, so breakfast in bed is what this doctor is ordering." Holly enters the room carrying a tray filled with plates and mugs of steaming hot coffee, which she sets down toward the bottom of the bed.

"Okay, is this heaven? Did I die during the night and this is what the Promised Land looks like because those are pancakes!" as Gail peers down at the feast waiting for her.

Holly slides in next to Gail, "Those are vanilla bean, blueberry pancakes made with buttermilk then fried in brown butter from Nana's special recipe, there is also sticky brown sugar bacon dusted with just a hint of cayenne pepper, fresh fruit and coffee."

"Stop with your foodie porn talk and kiss me already." leaning over Gail captures Holly's lips in her own tasting the sweet, smoky brown sugar bacon that still lingers. "Mmm I think someone already had breakfast…" Holly pulls Gail back to finish the kiss by hooking her finger inside the collar of her t-shirt before slowly pulling away, "It's called quality control, I can't serve you something in bed and not have it be delicious."

"Oh really?" the smile spreads across Gail's face as Holly shoves some bacon toward her, "It's a figure of speech, I didn't mean wherever your dirty mind is thinking already this morning,"

Gail let's out an orgasmic moan as she slowly chews on the bacon savoring every morsel, "Are you kidding me? This is like voodoo magic bacon, like the best bacon in the whole world."

"See, my standard of things that happen in this bed are very high." Holly informs the blonde as she shoves some fruit in her mouth and chews vigorously to keep herself from taking that topic any further.

"You are killing me, you know that right? I think these things have cocaine in them." as the cop shoves another forkful in her mouth, slowly savoring the bite before swallowing. "Yep, pretty sure I am high from the pancakes you have made." Gail looks over and offers the woman next to her a tiny peek inside; her affection for Holly which is proudly swimming in the pools of blue currently fixated on the brown eyes in front of her. Gail Peck's walls are slowly cracking wide open. "It's official I am kind of addicted to you… and your crazy voodoo cooking abilities."

Holly is not sure when exactly it happened, maybe it's watching Gail truly happy with her sticky fingers and smear of syrup smudged on her flushed cheek, but the feelings that vibrate from the doctor's core each time she is with this woman only escalate and the intensity is almost unbearable. At this point every inch of her entire being feels like red hot, glowing coal.

Pushing herself up with one arm, Gail's plate is hastily moved aside, as Holly flings her bare leg over the other side of Gail's legs resting her center in the middle of the blonde's lap, and audible groan seeps from Gail's mouth as Holly has already found her way inside, sucking Gail's tongue into her own with a delicious dominance. Gail responds with equal vigor as her hands slip inside Holly's shirt, running her them up and around to her back pulling her forward closer than ever before. Holly's hands tenderly run up Gail's collar bone, up her jawline, and into the nape of her neck, pulling her forward forcing their mouths to go deeper, their breath becoming one as the fire burns hotter. Holly adjusts her weight and the pressure into Gail's center makes her gasp into Holly's mouth.

The noise is so intrusive, so foul that they both let out a disgusted sigh. Peeling away from each other, Gail fishes for her phone on the nightstand next to her. She rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she whispers, "I am so sorry." to Holly.

"Sam, this better be good." Gail's eyes close and when they reopen there are tears already pooling in the corners. "When? Okay, I will be there as soon as I can." She ends the call setting the phone back down on the nightstand, leans forward looking straight ahead as she speaks. "Chris tried to hang himself last night."

Holly leans into Gail, sliding in behind, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, chin on her shoulder. "Honey, I am so sorry." she softly whispers.

"I have to go." But she does not move.

"Would you like company?"

"Yes, but I know I need to go see him alone. Please don't be upset."

Tightening her grip, Holly presses a kiss to her temple "I am not upset at all, not one little bit. Chris needs you right now and I completely understand. I just want you to know I am right here for whatever you need."

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

Gail sits for another long moment, scared to move, scared to leave the safest place she has ever found.

"Holly, can I come back over tonight?"

"There is nothing I would like more."

"I feel like we have some unfinished business."

Before she knew what happened, before she could take it back, reel it in or slam the breaks on them they came out of Holly's mouth.

"Gail, I have never slept with anyone I have not been in love with."

There is no movement, no reaction and no response. Holly places her hand on Gail's back, "I just need to know you understand what I mean when I say that to you. I don't know what you are ready to hear but I need you to know."

Gail lets herself lean back into Holly, take a deep breath and mutter the only words she can force out even though there is so much more she wants to say.

"I know."

Holly gives the cop a gently squeeze and kisses the back of her head before moving herself from the bed to begin clearing the mess from breakfast.

"Holly?"

"Yeah?"

"Your breakfast is amazing and your kisses are pretty spectacular as well. Thank you."

The crooked grin appears effortlessly, "You are welcome to them anytime you have a craving, how does that sound."

"Like a sure fire way to never get rid of me." Gail smiles sheepishly back at the doctor before heading toward the bathroom.

Gail walks the long hallway in search of 1437 which is Chris's room number scribble on the light pink post it note the nice lady at the information desk had given to her. She is not sure what to say, how to act but then the memory of Traci exploded in her mind, how she came to the hospital after Jerry died, to check on Gail. It hits her in that moment how incredibly hard that must have been for Traci to face Gail, to know what to say when there were no words to begin to express the level of devastation that sat with them silently in that hospital room. Gail would know what to say, what to do, she just had to have a little faith in herself.

The door was ajar so Gail pushed it open just enough to squeeze through, a few steps forward and she sees Chris lying in bed, his eyes are closed. The bruises around his neck deep purple, his skin swollen and raw, she takes another few steps into the room, not sure if she should wake him. Eyes upon him must have stirred the man somehow because he opens his eyes and Gail tries hard not to be affected by the deep red of broken blood vessels in his eyes.

"Hey" softly comes from Gail's mouth. "Can I sit with you?" she points to the side of the bed.

He nods in her direction but does not speak; he will not look at her. Again, Gail vividly remembers her time with Traci, how her words had somehow made it okay. She wants to give Chris that same comfort if she is able.

"Chris, you can look at me.", taking his warm hand into hers.

He just nods no, and the blood stained tears run down his face.

"Chris, I am right here. If there is anyone in this world who does not have any right to judge someone else it would be yours truly. You know firsthand the fucked up stuff I have done. Chris, you can look at me."

They sit together for a long while before he speaks.

"I woke up this morning and the thought of not being here finally sounded better than staggering through another day of my hellish existence. I have no one left. I have selfishly destroyed anyone who ever cared about me."

"Why do you think I am here? Do you think I came because I was hoping you would already be dead? What about Sam? Do you think he stayed the night out of his hatred for you? People love you Chris, I love you and God damn it your better start loving us back!"

Chris finally makes eye contact with Gail, "Bossy." as the faintest of smiles thinks about making an appearance on his face.

"C'mon Chris, you have to know how much we care about you. Me, Dov, Oliver, Traci, everyone, we are all family. God, we have all done some pretty stupid shit, but we all end up supporting each other in the end."

"If I ask you a question will you tell me the truth?" unable to keep his focus on Gail he looks away again.

"Have you met me Diaz, being vague is not exactly my style."

"Do you think it's possible for me to ever be a cop again?"

Gail rises from the bed where she is sitting, drags the chair from the opposite end of the bed over to him and sits down. She takes a deep breath. "I think it's going to be a challenge for you. There will be a trial, consequences and lots of hard work to get clean and get yourself mentally in a place to be a cop again. You have to try Chris, if not you will always be chasing ghosts and fighting the 'what if' demons. Give it your all and if you can't be a cop you walk away with your head held high and move forward because while you think the only thing for you is being a cop, you're wrong. There are tons of things you would fucking rock if you wanted to do them."

"Who are you?"

"I know, right? I scare myself lately. I am tired too Chris, exhausted of being scared to take chances. I am scared of failure, of running away when things get intense and most of all I am tired of not believing I deserve to be happy."

"Does the smoking hot girl make you happy?"

Gail laughs out loud, "She does, very much and it has less to do with how hot she is and more to do with how kind and good she is to me."

"Gail, I want you to know I am so sorry for the way I treated you when we broke up. It was shitty, and I was hurt, then I felt like an idiot when I realized you never slept with Dov like I thought."

"I want you to know that I did love you Diaz, and while it's a lot different now, I still do as a friend and I am here, not going anywhere, but you do something like this again and I swear to God I will kick your ass so hard you won't be able to show your face at 15 for a month!"

They laugh together and it feels good, like cutting away dead brush, letting go of heavy weight you can no longer support and having the clarity to breathe deep and let just a little bit of the good stuff back into your world.

Chris's looks right at Gail, he holds his gaze and breathes in, "would you sit with me for just a little while longer."

"Oliver is coming in about 20 minuet's how about I hang around till he gets here?"

"You wanna watch some TV?"

"I wanna kick your ass in video games but I guess watching TV will have to do."

Gail is finally able to ride her bike to Holly's after picking it up at the station, it feels like a long lost friend. The brisk wind spins her head in the best possible way, she feels alive and the familiar butterflies swarm as she nears Holly's house. She speeds down the street as the desperation spreads like a vast spill that will not be contained, like a thirst she cannot quench, she is done waiting, done rationalizing and done being scared.

She lets herself into the house, but does not find Holly downstairs, she hears the water running upstairs and peels her leather jacket off leaving it in a pile on the kitchen floor. She takes the steps two at a time, reaching the bathroom where the door is open. She calls out to Holly "Hey, I am here."

Sticking her head out of the curtain "I'll be out in a few minutes; there is food in the oven if you're hungry."

Gail stands in that space just inside the bathroom door until she is unable to stay there a second longer, walking to the shower opening the curtain she steps inside the large tiled shower. Pushing Holly against the wall as the sensation of Holly's mouth on hers sends chills down every inch of her body. Holly walks her backwards until she is under the water pausing to let the liquid drench them both, while Gail bites at Holly's bottom lip, forcefully demanding full access, tongue dancing and daring Holly to follow her wherever this is about to take them. Turning and twisting forcing each other into walls desperate to find something solid to stop the spinning frenzy unfolding in the downpour of all their unspoken words. Holly pushes Gail against the hot tile, grasping at the buckle of her jeans, they fall together frantic to find ways to close the space between them. Holly's hand finds Gail's warmth, wet and dripping, the cop brings her leg up, hooking it around Holly's waist as Holly sucks at her neck, licking the dripping water and slurping the pool of liquid that has gathered at the indention just above her chest. Holly reaches around trailing her hand down the blonde's back to grab the bottom of Gail's shirt dragging it over her head, urgent to find exposed skin, no longer able to exist without their bodies shedding all barriers, ripping away any boundaries that remain between them.

Fingers, and hands find secret hidden spots, palms drag down to warm mystic places, rubbing, thrusting, sliding, and grazing with the lightest of touches, fingers and tongues plunge into uncharted waters, down on their knees, wrapped together, hard points pulsing, and soft kisses scared all over their bodies with the most exquisite warmth imaginable. The breathless ending they both come to is nothing compared to the moment Gail takes Holly's face in her hands, looks straight into the chocolate drop eyes gazing back at her to unabashedly declare, "I am in love with you Holly, completely and totally head over heels in love with you." Holly is barely able to respond admitting to the cop she too has fallen completely in love with Gail before the water turns ice cold both grabbing towels, laughing hysterically as they make a mad dash for the warm bed waiting for them.


	13. Chapter 13

They stood beside the bed; eyes locked singing a symphony of words to each other in silence, hearts beating like the wings of wild birds in a cage. Holly let go of her towel first, and Gail had no idea where her breath went, but the void of air circulating throughout her body shook her soul wide awake. Gail began to slowly unravel, then like a freight train barreling down the tracks she was out of control, even with her towel still tucked tightly around her she felt so completely naked in Holly's presence. The water dripping from the doctor's long wet hair, exploded in slow motion, as the drops bounced up from the hardwood floor echoing through every fiber of Gail's being like a drowning cannonball as the cop struggles to breathe while looking at Holly in the hollow moonlight.

The slightest of movements, barely noticeable and Gail's towel finds its place on the floor, neither would remember who took the first step forward and it would never again matter, because they became one, skin to skin continuing down this unexplored path together, taking them to the places they longed to go. Holly is not sure anything could prepare her for this moment, for all of Gail's perceived calloused exterior, rigid walls thick with fear of letting anyone permeate the beauty that lies just beyond that well-guarded fortress, looking at Gail is easily the most breathtaking single second Holly has ever experienced.

They lay wrapped up in one another letting time pass them by, basking in the brilliant sensation of nothing but each other. Lips become the vessel of discovery, as Gail lets her mouth rain down on Holly, tasting every inch, every indention, and curve, tracing her tongue over childhood scars, kissing along the delicate points that terrify her as Holly melts under her touch. Gail is desperate to remember each sensation, as she works her way down to the perfect belly button with the small silver ring looped through it. She lightly kisses and tugs before using her mouth to tease and play, letting her hot tongue trace around the circle before plunging down into the crevasse of her firm belly. There is a pause, then stillness, a slight hesitation as to what happens next.

Grabbing her head Holly pulls Gail up to her mouth into a tender kiss, "You are amazing, do you know that?" Gail smiles lying her head down just under Holly's chin, "I am a little scared." She breathes out. Kissing the top of Gail's head, "No expectations, no rules, we just have to tell each other what we want and if something does not feel good it's totally fine to say so. That is the only rule, and if you must know I am halfway there most of the time anyway just by looking at you. In case no one has filled you in, you're really sexy." Holly kisses Gail again, hands begin to roam freely, flipping herself on top of Gail letting her weight find the right pressure points on her body, "ugh… ohhh god.", is all Gail can manage. Holly kisses her way down the blonde's neck with a giant smile spread across her face. Gail has let her head fall back into the sea of pillows behind her preparing for what is coming next.

Trails of kisses become a road map to Gail's body, lips brush over skin, dark flowing hair tickles hard nipples which cause each muscle in the cop's body to tighten, flicking and biting her way down the porcelain skin in front of her, Holly stops only to push Gail's legs apart sinking between them as she counts down the seconds until Gail Peck comes undone. The moment Holly's mouth makes contact with Gail's dripping wet center it's like being reborn, seeing the world again after sitting in the darkness just when she thought she had forgotten where the light lived. Holly slides her mouth down, letting the tip of her tongue graze around Gail's most sensitive spot, she teases and tugs, and then abruptly stops as she kisses the cop's perfect thigh close by. Gail groans "Oh, no…no..no…no…Please, Holly"

"Please what?" planting another kiss on the opposite thigh.

Silence

Holly brings her mouth down to the spot she was before, purses her lips together as if she was about to whistle a tune but instead blows a cool, steady stream of air on the already rock hard center of Gail's world.

"Please don't stop. Please… just don't stop doing whatever the hell it is you were doing before."

Holly answers the desperate pleas by sucking Gail into her mouth, flicking then tapping the tip, circling until she feels the Gail's whole body tighten up, only then does she gently slide two fingers deep inside the slippery reservoir before her. Gail rocks into Holly's hand, unlacing her innermost secrets, their movements are the call and answer of every moment leading up to this point. Pushing forward seeking out Holly, desperate to touch her, consume her in any way, in every way as Gail feels the electricity coursing through her body. They grasp hands taking cover; sparks fly as if two pieces of throwaway steel are being fused together into one unbreakable link forever bound.

Holly fights her momentary exhaustion to crawl her way up the length of the bed, kissing Gail's salty exposed shoulder, lying her head down in the crook of the blonde's neck, breathing in the aftermath of what has just happened, all the beautiful moments of anticipation scattered all around them now nothing more than empty remains will blow away with the first early morning breeze.

Gail rolls over, kissing Holly's chin, "I had no idea, that it could be like that… boys….are very overrated."

Holly outlines Gail's perfect lips with her index finger, "I think that this…us…." as she touches her own lips and moves back to tracing the blonde's lips, "is perhaps very special, and just might supersede gender."

Gail's eyes lock on the face before her, the safest place she has ever found to lay her heart, and all the other taped together pieces of herself she drags around with her, "I love you. I love your amazing soul, and your kind eyes and…your very limber tongue."

All it took was that split second sexy smile that crept onto Holly's face and Gail was done, effortless momentum propels her on top of Holly, hovering above, dipping down, reckless consumption of the wanting mouth waiting for her. A fever that could not be measured in word or thought and it left Gail stripped down, her worn linoleum heart exposed for what it is and what it must have at this moment.

The descent down took very little time, skipping along Holly's beautiful skin; Gail was but a small pebble skating along her cool watered lake. She stopped to kiss, lick and pay attention to every detail along the way on her journey. She arrived at the exact spot her dreams had been made of over the last several weeks, the place that made her blush and body throb all at the same time. She paused for just a second, not out of fear but because she would never be able to grasp into air and bring this moment back no matter how many times she replays it in her mind. She must remember everything. The first taste of Holly was like an explosion of silky bittersweet not unlike the very first mind-blowing sensation of chocolate melting on your tongue, Gail's mouth waters as it mixes with the destiny splayed out in front of her. Frenzied hands grasp at the cop's short blonde hair, pleading and pushing Gail's mouth further into the drowning heat that has saturated the cop to her core, swallowing her whole. The eruption when it comes is almost violent, a savage release of love and tenderness disguised in a frenzy of sweat soaked sheets, dripping wet mouths and secret words that they can never take back. Gail holds on to Holly so tight afraid she will be washed away in the stillness that has arrived.

"Gail?"

"Um hmm."

"You know right?"

Tracing along Holly's inner thigh with her bottom lip, "What?"

"You know that in some crazy over achieving Peckness no one and I mean no one has ever made me do what you just accomplished, right?"

Kissing her dangerously close where the glistening, tender parts are just inches from her mouth, "Mmm, and what is that exactly Dr. Stewart."

"Oh, I think you know."

"I want you to say it."

"Come up here and I just might."

Gail pulls herself to Holly, mouths automatically find their way to each other and Holly lets out a slight moan when she tastes what lingers on Gail's lips. The fight ensues as mouths battle for ownership of the other. This war rages on throughout the night until they are left exhausted, depleted and complete in each other's arms.


	14. Chapter 14

"I might not ever leave this spot." Gail declared as the slightly drunken sunlight staggered through the curtains slowly prancing across the room in the early morning hour.

"Mmm, well I think that we would need to wash the sheets at some point." kissing the soft, tender spot along the cop's neck, one that she is now very familiar with after last night's adventures.

"No, this spot." pulling Holly's arms around her tighter as she lies reclining backward against the doctor's chest, "In your arms, I could stay here forever."

Holly is quiet for a moment; her chin rests effortlessly atop Gail's head.

"I never thought I would find you. That the love of my life would arrive like a bat out of hell on a motorcycle veering off a crowded highway and straight into my life and my heart. I can't believe how lucky I am that it's me who gets the opportunity to love you, and I do. I love you, Gail."

As parade wraps up Gail swaggers over to the call board taking a peek at who she will be spending the day with on patrol when her eyes are transported to a list taped to the side of the wall with Holly's name neatly typed under the category, "Forensics".

"Good, God." she mutters out loud.

"Geez Gail, is it really that bad to ride with me?" as Dov walks toward the blonde.

"Worse. Oh, and morning newsflash for you Epstein we are not eating lunch at that awful sushi place on Queen" Gail informs Dov as she turns to leave.

Following behind the blonde, "It was one time Gail and you don't know that is what actually made you sick, I mean who eats cheese puffs with sushi?"

Thundering across the room, "PECKSTEIN!"

Both Gail and Dov stop in their tracks turning in unison toward Oliver's voice.

"I need you both to check out the abandon Simcoe warehouse down on Lakefront, there have been reports of suspicious activity during the day."

"You got it, sir. We will take care of it."

"I am counting on it Epstein." draining the remaining lukewarm coffee in his cup.

"I am going to grab my bag; I will meet you out back." Gail fishes for her phone as she heads to the locker room.

Running a finger over the four letters before punching the call button, Gail can't help smile at the voice she is about to hear.

"I miss you."

"Then you should have dinner with me." The cop responds as she traces the outline of the dark blue metal rivets on her locker.

"Can you pick me up after shift, I miss being on the back of your bike."

"My bike misses you too, I should be there by 7:00 is that okay?"

"Perfect."

Ending the call Gail lets her head gently fall into the locker door in front of her; every inch of her body feels tingly like the tiny bubbles that fly to the top of a freshly opened bottle of champagne. She might explode if she lets herself think too much about Holly, so the cop decides to bring herself back down to reality with the thought of riding around all day with Epstein.

The shift is routine for the most part, no dice with any action on the Simcoe warehouse and the rest of the day was filled with domestic calls, routine traffic stops and one especially colorful disturbance call from a bar owner whose husband found his cheating wife drinking with her much younger boyfriend and promptly took the wife outside handcuffing her to a stop sign before heading back into the bar and beating the boyfriend with a beer bottle.

The officers begin the ride back to the station so they can start work on the mountain of paperwork that comes with the bar fiasco. Gail wonders if she should tell Dov about Holly. Maybe she should start slow, really slow. She thinks on it for several minutes before speaking.

"So, I saw you signed up to play."

Dov nods, "Yep, I figure I could deal with seeing Sue on the field, there has been enough time that has passed, it should not be too awkward between us. Plus Chloe is really good, you should see her hit Gail, it's unbelievable what she can get on the ball."

"Does she hit the ball with that endless stream of hot air that seeps from her mouth?" Gail unwraps a piece of gum popping it in her mouth before neatly folding the wrapper into a small triangle.

"At least she can hit Gail."

"Yeah, about that I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."

Dov's head whips around, eyebrows raised, "You want to ask me a favor?"

"How about we don't act like I just asked for your left lung, okay? Christ Dov, I was wondering if you might be willing to help me…figure out…learn to…hit a ball." Gail regrets it before the words escape her mouth. Her right hand finds the temple that is already throbbing, she leans her head against the window with the thought of having just admitted to Dov that she needed help, his help.

Goofy grin plastered on his clean shaven face, "Let me get this straight, you want me to teach you how to hit so you can join our softball team for 15 division?"

Head still down, "Yes Dov, that is correct you get a shiny gold star for comprehension."

"I will do it under one condition."

"I am not going to hit you with the bat or ball Dove, I am not that bad."

"Oh you are every bit that bad, Gail. You are awful at sports, but you do put up a good front, I will give you that. The way you zip around on the bike no one would know you have the eye hand coordination of a drunken hobo."

"Fuck you, Epstein."

"I am kidding. Tell me why you want to play?"

There is a long silence. Gail chews on her bottom lip wondering what exactly to say, if she should mention the woman who has taken up shop in her thoughts night and day or if she should make up another reason. The thought of being dishonest about Holly makes her sad so before she knows it the words come out, "I want to play because my friend Holly is playing and I have a feeling she is really good. I don't want to look stupid if I sign up."

Dov keeps his eyes on the road, not sure what to make of Gail's confession but he knows her well enough to sense the tone that changed in her voice speaking of this friend. Gail Peck does not throw those bones out often, especially to Dov.

"Okay, you wanna start at the batting cages?"

Without looking at her partner, she gently punches his arm, "Yeah, maybe tomorrow after shift?"

"Yeah, that will work." Dov responds as he wonders what he has just gotten himself into.

Gail is leaning against her bike in the parking lot waiting for Holly when she see the sliding glass doors open and the doctor walking toward her. She is more beautiful than Gail remembers from just a few hours ago, the sun streaks down highlighting everything about her that Gail adores. She has on well-fitting jeans and a low cut grey sweater with her hair pulled back, and black tattered riding boots with just enough heel on them to make her tower a bit over the blonde. Gail can see the riding gloves she gave Holly as a present when she was undercover sticking out of her bag.

"Hi." Holly offers as she runs her eyes up and down Gail's body.

Stepping forward to close the distance between them, "Hi", and with that their mouths say what spoken words will not. The kiss is an invitation, a welcome mat, and a confession all rolled into one until they break apart only to let their eyes linger for another breathless moment.

Holly grabs her helmet off the back of the bike and proceeds to put her gloves on, swinging her long, lean legs over the bike.

"What are you doing?"

"I am driving; get your ass on the back of the bike."

"Whoa, Holly you can't drive we have not had any more lessons and we can get hurt, like really hurt."

Holly takes off her helmet and turns to Gail, "Do you trust me?"

Gail is not sure what to say, she does trust Holly but she also knows how hard it is to ride with someone on the back of a motorcycle. She likes Holly, but she also likes her ability to walk.

"Of course I do."

"Good. Don't forget to hold on…tight."

Gail honestly thinks she might have a heart attack, she is fully prepared for the bike to turn over the very second Holly tries to take off, that is if she can remember what side the clutch is on."

Gail slides in behind Holly their bodies fit together like perfect pieces of a timeless mosaic, the cop wraps her hands around Holly's waist and resists the urge to go lower. That will surely get us killed she tells herself thinking about Holly's attention span during their first lesson on the bike.

Before Gail knows what has happened they are speeding down the road, Holly is shifting gears like she has ridden this bike for years, having full control at stoplights and is beyond sexy shifting her weight as she leans into the turns taking the corners like a pro. Gail is shocked where in the hell did Holly learn to ride like this?

The bike stops at the familiar city view they have both come to love. Holly kills the engine and pushes herself off the bike, removing her helmet and letting her hair free. She wraps her arms around Gail and kisses her stunned lips. "Surprise!"

"I have been in a lot of scary situations Stewart but I am not sure any of them come close to the terror I felt when you started this bike." She pulls Holly forward by her shirt, running her hand up to the spot just under her jawline drawing her in close, drinking in the sparks flying from her mouth, as the sun sinks down like a ball of orange in the skyline behind them.

"How did you learn to ride like that?"

"Ira."

"Of course, Ira taught you. Who the hell is Ira?"

"Head security officer at the morgue, he told me if he could teach his 67 year old wife to ride, he could teach me. So he did. His bike is bigger than yours, but he is nowhere as sexy as you are getting on and off the bike."

"Well thank god I don't have to compete with a charming old fella named Ira and size is not everything or do I need to remind you of that…" kissing her forehead. He did a great job Holly, your fundamentals are solid. I am proud of you."

Land locked and starring into ocean blue eyes Holly takes a step forward bringing her lips to kiss the soft skin of Gail's cheek trailing up to her ear, whispering softly, "I am in love with you." Gail eyes dance as Holly's words wash over every inch of her, "I love you and your amazing bike riding ways Dr. Stewart."

Each time they kiss it's like the world stops and hearts open just a bit more, exposing the soft, tender underbelly that unravels slowly before each of them.

Gail begrudgingly pulls away, "Mmm as sweet as your kisses are you have to take me for food!

Holly can't resist pulling her back for one last kiss, "My pleasure."

The waitress struts toward their table with two plates, setting the giant burgers down in front of them.

"I am so hungry, lunch was like two years ago", as Gail shoves a piece of bacon into her mouth hanging off her sandwich.

"You do know that bacon is not actually one of the food groups, right?"

Scrunching up her face in total disbelief "Says who?"

Holly reaches for the ketchup, "Every board certified cardiologist in the world."

Stealing one of the doctor's French fries, "What do you know you work on dead people." shooting Holly a sweet grin followed by a sexy wink.

"Plus who ever heard of goat cheese and fig jam on a burger, that is like a huge insult to the cow, Holly."

Holding her burger out for Gail to try, "Well I don't ever turn down food…" she takes a giant bite and after a few questioning chews she swallows then holds her hands up, "that's it, I am done. You just order for me from now on. Gail reaches over and takes Holly's plate as she puts her own plate in front of Holly setting the gourmet burger down as she goes in for another bite. "Holy fuck this is good!"

Holly is laughing too hard to protest. "You are insane you know this, right?"

Cutting Gail's burger in half and picking off most of the bacon giving it back to the blonde, "How was your day?"

"Eh, nothing too exciting had to ride with Dov and he did not kill me by forcing me to eat lunch at a gross sushi place he likes, so that was good. Hey I have a question for you, did you happen to play sports growing up or were you just into doctory stuff?"

Holly takes a drink of her soda water thinking it over, "Well along with my vast doctory stuff, I did play basketball and softball in high school and softball all four years in undergrad."

"So were you good?"

"I guess so, I was one of the top hitters in the conference and not to toot my own horn but my record for pitching still has not been broken."

Gail stops mid chew and just stares at the beautiful woman in front of her.

"I actually wanted to tell you that I signed up for softball at work to play for the forensic team! I guess there are different teams for different divisions and they compete each week in a league?

Finally swallowing, "Wow, that is so great!"

Are you going to play?

"Totally! Hello? have you met me?"

Brushing her finger over the blonde's wrist and hooking their fingers together, "Good, but I am not sure I will be able to concentrate on anything but how amazing you will look on the field."

The cop's heart slowly sinks as she realizes that is probably the only hope she has of not looking like a total fool in front of Holly.

Gail drains the remaining beer in her bottle muttering, "Oh honey just you wait, you have not seen the likes of me on the field…"


End file.
